


Book 18 - Darkness in the City of Lights

by GailDunn2



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adult Content, Drama, F/M, References to Supernatural (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:20:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 86,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23289175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GailDunn2/pseuds/GailDunn2
Summary: Paris has a reputation as a city for romance, but the group finds horror there, instead. Monsters come in many forms, and so do causes. Lucifer's evil isn't the only threat to humanity. Can Cas and Gail and Sam and Dean meet the challenges these new obstacles pose?





	1. Bless This House

Rowena answered the door, letting Chuck in. "I'm glad you came," she told him. "I thought maybe you wouldn't." 

He smiled down at her. "Now, why on earth would you say that? It's not every day I meet such a gorgeous woman. There was no way I wasn't going to show up tonight." 

She put a drink in his hand. "A toast, then," Rowena said, raising her own glass. "Here's to getting better acquainted." 

Chuck looked at the glass. He'd had some alcohol with her back at the bar, but he didn't really like the taste much, now that he was an Angel. But Desiree clinked her glass with his and had a sip. He thought it would be rude not to join her, so he took a sip of the drink she'd given him. 

Then she took his other hand and slipped it under her blouse, and she wasn't wearing a bra. Chuck gasped, and he drank the rest of his drink down. 

Rowena smiled, taking the glass from him. It shouldn't take too long for the potion to work. But in the meantime, there was no reason that the two of them couldn't have some fun. She knew that poor Chuck was very deprived, and Rowena had a healthy appetite for sex herself, one that hadn't even come close to being satisfied since she'd come back. 

Now that both of Chuck's hands were free, he put the other one around her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the mouth. Rowena poked her tongue out, and Chuck made a low sound in his throat. Rowena smiled again. If he was this excited just from the tip of her tongue, imagine how he would feel in a few minutes. 

Her hand touched the front of his pants. She could feel his excitement, but as soon as she did that, Chuck pulled back. 

"I'm sorry," he said to her. "I'm getting carried away. It's been quite a while for me. You'll have to excuse me." 

"There's nothing to excuse," Rowena said softly. She moved closer to him and touched him again. "It's been far too long for me, too. Let's just enjoy each other." She grabbed his hand and brought it under her skirt. Chuck's eyes widened. No underwear there, either. Man, she was sexy. He started to move against her hand, and he put one finger inside her. 

Rowena smiled again. That was a good start. "Hold that thought," she said teasingly. She led him over to the bed and laid down, raising her skirt all the way up to her waist. 

"Do what you want to do, Chuck," she said to him. 

Frank had his arms around Jody, and he was kissing her softly on the cheek. They had just finished making love, and she was dozing off when he said, "Are you still awake, Jodes?" 

"Yeah," she said softly. "Why?" 

Frank sighed. "I wonder if we should call home and find out how Robbie's doing." 

Jody restrained herself from rolling her eyes, but just barely. "We've been gone one day, Frank. He's the same as he was this morning." Then she softened, reminding herself that Frank was new to this whole parenting thing. Jody had had the experience before, so she was more laid-back than he was about the whole thing. Robbie wasn't an infant, and Barry and Tommy had proven themselves to be excellent caregivers. 

"We'll call them in the morning," she told Frank. "The guys were taking him to register him at the school. We can find out how that went." 

Frank nodded. Jody was right, of course, as always. "Let's get some sleep," she said. 

Barry came out of the bunker and looked around the garage. Where were Tommy and Robbie? He called out their names and Tommy responded weakly, "Over here." 

When Mark had knocked Tommy off his feet, his head had hit the corner of the garage door and he had been lying there, dazed. Mark had disappeared with Robbie after telling Tommy to have Bobby meet with him here in half an hour, presumably to discuss a ransom for Robbie's safe return. Ransom? Tommy had thought. What could the Devil possibly want from them? Tommy was pretty sure he didn't want to know. 

Barry ran towards the sound of Tommy's voice, and he fell to his knees in front of his boyfriend. "What happened? Are you OK? Where's Robbie?" Barry asked him. 

Tommy rubbed the back of his head and took Barry's hand with his free hand, telling him what had happened. 

"Me and my stupid stove!" Barry wailed, but Tommy cut him off. "It wouldn't have made any difference, hon," Tommy assured him. He didn't want Barry blaming himself, just like Tommy was trying not to blame himself. "There's nothing we can do against a celestial being," Tommy stated. "We'll have to call Bobby. He's God; he'll know what to do." He sighed heavily. "And then we'll have to call Frank and Jody, and let them know. I'm not looking forward to that conversation. But first, Bobby. The scumbag only gave us half an hour." He took his cell phone out of his pocket and called God. 

Cas and Gail were cuddling. 

"Do you want me to go with you when you talk to the tour guide in the morning?" she asked him. 

Cas's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure if that would be such a good idea. If he's mixed up with this group somehow, he may not be as forthcoming with the information if you're there. Those kinds of people tend to be prejudiced against women, as well as minorities." 

Gail nodded. She could see that. "OK. I'll just stay here, then. Maybe I'll watch while Frank, Jody, Sam and Dean have breakfast. Chuck and I can talk to each other, at least." 

Cas nuzzled her cheek. "I may be forced to play another role, as I did in Egypt. But at least this time we won't be apart. Just please, keep in mind that Sam and Dean and I may have to project different personae to these men in order to obtain the information that we need." 

She knew what he was trying to tell her. He and the Winchesters were going to have to act like white supremacists, and likely misogynists, too. Great. She'd had her fill of that when Cas had been the Sheikh in Egypt. But they had to do what they had to do to get the Tablet. She would just have to keep reminding herself that it was only an act. 

Gail sighed, but she kept her tone light. "OK, I get it," she said to him. Then she ran her fingers through his hair. "Just promise me you won't shave your head. No Tablet is worth that." Then she smiled. 

Cas laughed softly and kissed her on the mouth. She was always so understanding, and she always kept his spirits up. He disliked acting the way that he had to act for these types of missions. When he had been the Sheikh, he'd had to act arrogant and entitled. Now he would probably have to act that way again, and spout words of hate, and racial epithets. But in this case, the end would justify the means. 

He would think about that in the morning, though. Gail was caressing him now, and she gave him her tongue when he kissed her. He needed her again, and she obviously didn't mind. 

"Please come here," Cas said softly, and he positioned her by his mouth, while she took him in hers. They made love to each other, slowly at first, then more enthusiastically as their excitement grew. 

"I love you, my husband," Gail said, smiling, and then she resumed what she'd been doing. He reacted as she'd been hoping he would; he moved underneath her, and he let out a low moan that she could feel through his mouth, which was on her. Then she made a sound as well, which he could feel through her mouth, which was on him. They both cried out as the feeling hit them at the same time, and then they were still. 

After a moment, Gail climbed off of him and snuggled into his arms. "That's one of my favourites," she said happily. "I love it when we both feel so good at the same time." 

Cas loved it, too. His arms tightened around her and he kissed her gently on the forehead. "As do I," he told her, still trying to catch his breath. 

They lay there contentedly for a few minutes, and then Gail said, "Do you want to watch some TV?" 

Castiel thought for a moment, then he nodded. "Maybe so. Would you mind?" 

"Not at all. I wouldn't have suggested it if I did," she replied. "Maybe we can sharpen up our French skills a little bit. Un petit peu," she added, smiling. 

Cas returned her smile. She was so cute. He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the remote. 

"Hold it," Gail said, and he paused. She smiled again. "Let me get into prime cuddling position, first." Then Cas smiled. He knew just what she meant, though they hadn't done it in quite a while. He now realized how much he had missed it. He waited patiently until she positioned herself between his legs with her back to him, then he drew the covers over them and held her with one arm, clicking the remote with the other. 

French TV seemed pretty much like any other TV to Gail, except that it was in French. Most of the talking was too fast for her to translate, though she could pick out the occasional word or phrase here and there. Cas kept flipping from channel to channel and she was starting to get a bit dizzy, so she closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of being safe and warm. 

But suddenly, there was a pounding at their door. Cas sprang from the bed. They'd put the Do Not Disturb on the door. He glanced at Gail. 

"Cas! Open up! It's Dean!" their friend yelled through the door. 

Now Gail jumped off the bed, too. She grabbed Cas's shirt and put it on hurriedly, fumbling with the buttons. Luckily, it was long enough on her to serve as a short dress. She hadn't bothered to unpack her bag yet, but they had been quite busy ever since they'd gotten back to their room, she thought, smiling to herself. 

"Just a minute," Cas called out. He put on his shorts. What was Dean so upset about? Cas grabbed his pants from the floor where he'd dropped them. He had been planning to hang them up earlier, but one he'd gotten Gail's clothes off, housekeeping had been the last thing on his mind. 

Gail had done up just enough buttons on the shirt to be decent, and she rushed to the door as Cas sat down, turning his pants right side out. She opened the door, and Dean pushed past her into the room. 

"Dean! What the hell?" Gail asked him. 

Dean was staring at Cas. "Bobby called me on my cell," he said angrily. "He's been trying to reach you guys on Angel Radio for the past half hour. Why aren't you answering him?" 

Cas lifted an eyebrow to his friend. Dean could add two and two, and he threw up his hands in disgust. "OK, well, turn it back on," Dean told Cas. "Robbie's been kidnapped." 

"What?!" Cas leaped off the bed, his pants forgotten. "By whom?" 

"Mark," Dean told him. "He showed up at the bunker and just took him." 

"How is that possible?" Cas asked. He was starting to get angry now too, and he was also more than a little embarrassed. He and Gail had turned off their frequencies a little earlier, just for a few minutes, so they could concentrate on each other. But then things had gotten so heated that they'd forgotten to turn them back on. 

"I don't know, Cas," Dean said, frustrated. "I only know that Bobby called, looking for you. He said he was supposed to meet with Mark at the bunker to negotiate, about half an hour ago." 

Cas swore under his breath. He turned the frequency back on and called Bobby immediately. 

Gail felt terrible. "Crap," she said to Dean in a low voice. "Why would Mark want to negotiate with Bobby?" she mused aloud. 

"Why the hell do you think, Gail?" Dean snapped at her. "Get your head out of your butt! He's Satan's lieutenant!" 

"Don't talk to her that way," Cas said sharply. 

"No, he's right, Cas. That was a stupid thing for me to say," Gail said. "I just feel bad about Robbie." 

"So do I," Dean said, but his tone softened a bit. Still, he was annoyed at the two of them, and at Chuck, too. Damn Angels. What good were their powers if you couldn't get them on the damn phone? 

"Bobby was able to stall Mark," Castiel told Dean and Gail, "but the meeting will be in fifteen minutes from now, outside the bunker." He sat back down on the bed and started to put on his pants again. "Bobby wants me there." 

"Why?" Gail said warily. 

He glanced up at her. "He may need the extra power, Gail." 

"Well then, I'm coming, too," she said, turning to pick up her bag. She could put on her clothes in the bathroom if Dean wanted to stay here and strategize. 

"No, Gail. I'm going alone," Cas said. "I need for you to wait here." 

She wheeled around. "Why, Cas? I could help you," she said angrily. 

Cas had his pants on now, and he was rooting around in his bag for a shirt. He could hardly ask Gail for the one she had on. But he had to hurry now. "I don't have time to argue," he told her. He pulled out a shirt and hastily put it on, then grabbed his blazer and checked the pocket automatically for his blade. Then he looked at Dean. Suddenly, he grabbed Dean's hand with one of his hands, and Gail's hand with the other. He winked them to the door of Sam and Dean's room. 

"Keep her safe, Dean," Cas said, and he winked out. 

Dean got it. He seized Gail by the arm and brought her into his and Sam's room. Sam looked up from where he was sitting on his bed. He had been sticking by the phone, in case anyone called back with news. 

"What's going on?" Sam asked. 

Gail was livid. "Cas is treating me like a baby, that's what's going on." She jerked her arm out of Dean's grip and walked away from him. 

"Look, don't be mad at me," Dean said to her. "This guy Mark sounds like a heavy hitter. Cas is obviously just trying to protect you." 

"I don't care," Gail blurted out. "He's always trying to protect me. We're supposed to be partners, Dean." 

Dean shrugged. "For the record, I think he was right." 

She looked at him sharply. "What?" 

"You heard me," he told her. "I hate to tell you this, Gail, but you're going to have to let it go. You're gonna have to let Cas be Cas." 

She was astonished. She looked at Sam, then back at Dean. "What do you mean?" But Gail had a pretty good idea. For a moment, she was so mad that she literally saw red. This must be how Cas felt when he got really angry. Maybe they WERE becoming the same person, now that they were married, she thought sardonically. 

"Are you saying that I should just shut up and be the little woman?" Gail yelled. "Because you know that's not going to happen!" 

"That's not what we're saying, Gail," Sam said in a calm voice, trying to simmer her down. "We would never say that." 

"OK, then what ARE you saying?" she exclaimed. 

"That you're a liability to him in a fight," Dean said in a sharp tone. The look on her face when he'd said that almost made him stop right there, but this had been a long time coming, and it had to be said. "You're not nearly as strong of a fighter as you seem to think you are, Gail," Dean continued, ripping off the bandaid. "And if you don't get better, you're gonna get Cas killed, because he'll be so distracted, worrying about you." 

Gail closed her mouth with a snap. Then she opened it, and then she closed it again. My God. He was right. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he was right. When had she ever genuinely been an asset to Cas in a fight, especially with any otherworldly beings? She had been attacked by humans and animals, and Cas had had to save her from both of those things, too. Metatron had actually killed her in Las Vegas, when Cas hadn't been with her. And, the only reason she'd been able to kill Demon Frank in Crowley's den was because he had killed Cas first, giving her the extra motivation and adrenaline. 

She sank down on the other bed. What Dean was saying was true. Cas had made a career out of saving her, and she was lucky that she hadn't provided a fatal distraction for him yet. 

Then there was a knock on the door, and Sam opened it to admit Frank and Jody. 

Frank swept into the room and went straight to Gail. "Thank God," he said. "We went to your room, but you weren't there. Where's Cas?" 

Gail frowned. "He's at the bunker. Bobby wanted him there." 

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Frank said. "You can take us there, then." 

Crap. Of course they would want to go to the bunker. But now, she was reluctant to go. After what Dean had said, she was convinced that she should just stay away and let Cas and Bobby handle it. 

"What's the matter?" Jody said, seeing the confused look on Gail's face. "Let's go!" She was trying to maintain her cool cop facade, but she was starting to lose it. Barry had called Frank's cell phone, weeping, telling them that Mark had taken Robbie, and Jody had been really scared. Being humans, there may be nothing she or Frank could do there, but she was damned if she was going to sit here an ocean away while their little boy was in danger. 

Gail sighed. She supposed she had no choice but to take them. She looked at Sam and Dean. "Has anyone heard from Chuck?" she asked them. 

"No. We thought you guys might have," Sam said. Dean gave him a look. His brother didn't know that Cas and Gail had had their channel shut off. But Dean had better not say so right now. Frank looked like he was ready to spit nails. 

"Who cares about Chuck?" Frank said angrily. "We're wasting time here. Let's go, Gail!" 

She sighed again. Cas was going to be mad, but she could hardly refuse. Sam and Dean still had that stupid sigil painted by the window, though, didn't they? Fine. She grabbed Frank's hand with one of her hands, and Jody's hand with the other, and took them outside to the hallway. Then she winked them to the bunker. 

Cas and Bobby were standing in the library area discussing the situation when the trio appeared. 

Frank rushed up to the men immediately, with Jody right behind. "What's happening?" he demanded. 

Cas's heart sank. He should have figured as much. Frank and Jody had every right to be here, but he had been hoping that they would stay in France and let him and Bobby handle it. He looked at Gail, and she shrugged. 

"Nothing, yet," Bobby told Frank and Jody. "Mark's supposed to be outside in five minutes. Cas and I were going to go out there and find out what he wants." 

"I'm going to try to persuade him to take me to where Robbie is being held," Cas added. "If he'll do that, there's a very good chance I'll be able to bring him back safely." 

"Why don't YOU go, Bobby?" Frank asked, frowning. "Then, you could just smite this bastard Mark into oblivion." 

"No, it's gotta be Cas," Bobby said uncomfortably. 

"Why?" Jody said, raising her voice. "What are you not telling us, Bobby?" 

"I'm not God, that's what!" Bobby yelled suddenly. "OK? I'm not God any more. You might as well know. I don't have Godly powers any more. Cas is our best shot to get Robbie back, safe." 

"What do you mean, you're not God?!" Frank exclaimed. "Since when? What ARE you, then?" 

Bobby was miserable. This just kept coming back to bite him in the ass. If anything happened to that little kid, he was just going to tell Cas to take his blade out and kill him. But there was no time for a self-pity party right now. "We don't have the time to get into it right now, Frank," he told Gail's brother. "We've got to get out there for the meeting." 

"OK, let's go, then," Frank said, putting his hand on Cas's arm. Jody took Bobby's hand. The Angels looked at each other. There was no way they would be able to keep the worried parents here, and there was no time to argue about it, anyway. 

Cas sighed, looking at Gail. "I suppose there's no point in asking you to stay inside," he said to her. "But, you may wish to put some pants on, first." 

Crap. Now she was the one who was embarrassed. In the panic and fear of the situation, she hadn't even realized that the only thing she still had on was Cas's shirt. Gail popped into their room down the hall and dressed in record time, and then she winked back to the library. 

They all appeared outside at the same moment Mark appeared, and Mark had company. 

"Hi, there," Lucifer said, cheerfully. 

When Mark had returned to the mansion with Robbie, Lucifer had been angry. 

"What are we supposed to do with him?" Lucifer had yelled, gesturing towards Robbie. The boy's hand was in his father's, but he shrank back from the men now, frightened by Lucifer's tone. 

"Negotiate for his safe return," Mark had said, smiling. 

Lucifer had paused, then. Not bad, actually, he'd thought. He had to hand it to Mark. If there was anything that motivated Angels and humans alike, it was the safety of an innocent child. Suckers. Children were worthless, in Lucifer's opinion. This one was sniveling and squirming, and he looked like he was going to start bawling any minute. Lucifer hated kids. If he had his way, the only method of reproducing would be cloning. The way that humans made kids was fine, but the actual birthing process was disgusting. He didn't know how a man could even think of going near a woman, after something like that. 

But they were stuck with the little brat for now, at least until Bobby handed over an Angel or two. "Jason!" Lucifer bellowed. 

Jason walked into the room. He was used to it by now, but his teeth clenched every time he was summoned that way. The truth was, Lucifer got on his last nerve. The only reason that Jason was still here was because Lucifer had promised his erstwhile bodyguard that one he took over Heaven, Jason would be provided with a steady stream of Angels to feed upon. Now that he'd had both human and Angel blood, Jason found that he craved Angels almost endlessly. Like some humans had a sweet tooth, Jason yearned for Angel blood, even though human blood was really his bread and butter. If he were to go back to Purgatory, Jason would no longer have access to Angel blood. Therefore, he had chosen to remain in Lucifer's service. Once Lucifer took over Heaven, he'd promised that Jason would be free to do whatever he wanted there. 

"Take it down to the basement and guard it there," Lucifer told Jason, waving his hand dismissively at Robbie. "We'll be back shortly." 

Jason nodded and grabbed Robbie by the arm. Robbie started to struggle. "My uncles are gonna kick your butts," the boy said defiantly. "And so is God." 

Lucifer smiled indulgently. "Is that so?" 

"Yeah," Robbie said. 

Well, this was better than the sniveling, anyway. But then, Robbie looked up at Mark. "I thought you loved us," he said, and now his lower lip was trembling again. 

Mark laughed shortly. "I loved your mother. You? You were just a part of the deal. Just like you are now." 

"You loved Mom?" Robbie said in a high-pitched voice. Lucifer frowned. Kids were so annoying. If this one talked in that voice again, Lucifer might have to kill him right here. 

"Then how come you killed her?" Robbie continued. 

Mark was startled. "Who told you that?" He couldn't believe that one of the God Squad would say a thing like that to a child. How dare they? It was probably Castiel. Everyone knew he had no sense of restraint. 

"Nobody told me," Robbie said sulkily. "I just...knew." 

Mark stared at him for a moment, then he shrugged. Oh, well. Who cared? "Fine," he told the child. "Then you know that I won't hesitate to kill anybody else. Including you. If I could kill your mother, who I loved, I would have no problem with killing you, who I don't." 

That did it. Robbie had been trying to be brave and stand up for himself and his Mom. But he was still a child, and when his father said that to him, it hurt, a lot. His feelings towards his Dad were very confusing now, but to hear one of your own parents say something like that, right to your face? Robbie started to bawl. 

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Take him," he said to Jason, "and if he won't shut up, feel free to use him for a snack. Or play with him a while, I really don't care. But he'd better be quiet when I get back, or I'll have to kill him myself. Let's go, Mark." 

The Devil and his lieutenant vanished from the mansion and Jason looked down at Robbie and smiled. "I'd try to calm down, if I were you," he said to the child. "You know who that is, right?" 

"He's the Devil," Robbie wailed. He was sniffling back the tears, trying to compose himself. He was scared, but he was also sure he was going to be rescued soon, and he wanted to look brave when they got there. "But my Uncle Dean says he's just another douchebag." 

Jason looked at the boy incredulously, and then he did something he almost never did. He threw back his head and laughed. 

"You just bought yourself some more time on Earth," Jason said. He grabbed Robbie's hand and took him to the basement. 

Mark and Lucifer stood in the backyard of the bunker, like gunfighters just waiting for the signal to draw. 

"How is everyone?" Lucifer said casually. "How're those Tablets coming, Castiel? Everybody still alive? Yeah? Pity," he went on, smiling. He hadn't really expected an answer; he was just trying to rile his Brother up. 

Castiel did not disappoint. "You had better not have harmed that child in any way," he growled. 

Lucifer grinned. Castiel was so easy. "Or what?" he taunted. 

"What do you want?" Bobby asked him. 

Lucifer looked at him. "Hey, Roomie," he said cheerfully. "Long time, no see. Still having those wet dreams about Crowley's mother?" 

Bobby's hands curled into fists. If only he had the power to smite; he would lay those two bastards flat. "What'll it take to get the boy back?" he said through gritted teeth. 

Lucifer appeared to consider. "I need some Angels, for a special project I'm working on," he told them. "How about, you give me...Chuck, Ethan, Kevin, and Becky?" Then he looked at Castiel again. "And I think I'll take your sweet wife, too. It's a regular sausage-fest at my place. I'm back at the mansion now, so don't worry, she'll be comfortable." 

Cas laughed harshly. "You're wasting your time. You know that's never going to happen." 

"Then I guess you're going to have to buy a very small white coffin," Lucifer sneered. He looked at Frank and Jody. "You weren't that attached to the little brat anyway, were you? Maybe you can make more kids, if it means that much to you. Or, can you?" He focused his gaze on Jody, affecting a sympathetic look. "Are you having some issues with that, maybe? Women of a certain age have to be careful, Jodes. Of course, you could always come to me for that. I'm in the business of granting wishes, you know." 

"Oh, right," Gail scoffed. "Wishes nobody wants, you mean." 

"Still with the mouth, eh, Gail?" Lucifer said, with an edge to his voice. "I'm definitely taking you with me, then. With all of the men that I have in my service, I could put that mouth of yours to good use. In fact, I think I'll have you audition first, on me." 

Cas threw his arms out, and the blue rays shot out of his fingertips. Lucifer was slow to react, and the beams knocked him back a step. But then he raised his own arms, deflecting them. Then he shot his own green beams at Cas, who raised his arms and deflected them to the side, as Lucifer had just done. 

"Way to go, Cas," Lucifer said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. "Better technique, this time. Too bad you don't have any wild animals around this time." He looked at Gail, affecting a pout. "Though that ended up being way worse for you than it was for me. How's our dear Aurielle, by the way? Do you drop by and visit her now and then? Maybe whisper in her ear about the things that Castiel did to you the night before, hoping that she'll finally decide to kill herself?" 

"My God, you talk a lot," Chuck said, shaking his head. He had just appeared, and he moved to stand beside Cas and Gail. 

"What are you doing here?" Gail said to him, startled. 

"Sam and Dean told me where you were, and I felt guilty about not being there when everything was going on," Chuck replied. "So, even though I'm the world's biggest weenie, here I am." 

Gail looked at him curiously. He was acting weird; almost happy. What was with him? 

Chuck was feeling the effects of the potion that Rowena had given him earlier. She had slipped it into the drink she'd given him when he'd first arrived in her hotel room. Then they'd had sex several times, in several different positions. And then, when both of them were laying there temporarily spent, their bodies glistening with sweat, she'd started with the questions. What she'd given him was an interesting sort of cocktail, but Rowena knew what she was doing. What she'd gotten Chuck to willingly imbibe was in effect a truth serum. 

She began with a few softball questions: What did Chuck do for a living? He was a librarian, he'd said, and he liked to write stories in his spare time. Did he have any brothers and sisters? He'd smiled. Blood relatives? Yes, he had a sister, but he hadn't spoken to her in a number of years. 

"But I actually have lots of Brothers and Sisters now," Chuck had continued dreamily. Rowena's hair was bright red in the candlelight, and it was mesmerizing him now. She'd turned off all the lights in the room and lit a few candles, telling him they were for atmosphere. They were supposed to keep the two of them in an amorous mood for as long as they burned, she'd said. Chuck had laughed at that. After as long as he'd waited for a night like this, he didn't think that would be a problem. He'd been thrilled to find out that Cas wasn't the only Angel who could go multiple times, and Desiree had seemed very happy with that circumstance, as well. In fact, Chuck had wondered if she would find that suspicious. But she hadn't said anything about it, merely egged him on. A couple of times when he'd gotten a little too carried away, she had scratched him with her fingernails and told him to stop, and he'd backed off immediately. But otherwise, she'd been good to go, and Chuck was very happy now. 

"Why? What do you mean, Chuck?" she had asked him. 

"I'm an Angel," he'd told her. 

Rowena smiled. Obviously, the potion was working now. "What's your fondest desire, Chuck?" she asked him softly. 

"This was, until about an hour ago," he quipped. He reached for her, but she pulled away and pinched his nipple, hard. 

"We're talking here, Chuck," Rowena rebuked him. "I'll let you know when we can go again. But first, you're going to be a good boy, and tell me everything I want to know." 

Incredibly, he was smiling. "Yes, ma'am," Chuck said softly. He had felt himself getting excited again when she'd done that, and Rowena could see the evidence. Interesting. Well, if he had that particular proclivity, she could oblige. She looked at the candles burning on the dresser. She hadn't used hot wax in this kind of scenario for quite a while. 

But for right now, Chuck was being very cooperative. "My fondest desire?" he repeated. "I want to be like Cas. I want to be Heaven's hero." 

"Do you, now?" Rowena said with a half-smile. "What is it about this 'Cas' that you admire so much?" 

"I don't know if you could say I admire him, so much as I'm jealous of him," Chuck said, frowning slightly. "But I'm not supposed to feel that way. It's a Sin." 

"Everyone feels that way sometimes, Chuck," she assured him. "It's perfectly normal. What is it about him that makes you feel jealous?" 

"It's just...he has everything," Chuck told her. "He's God's right hand, he's got all kinds of powers we don't, he's respected by everybody, and he's married to a terrific girl. Oh, and he's lusted after by a flock of female Angels, and a few guys I know, as well," he concluded with a wry smile. 

No doubt, Rowena thought. She'd been guilty of that from time to time, herself. So he had married his little concubine, had he? Oh, well. If Rowena really wanted to have a go at Castiel, no ring was going to stop her. But Chuck had been more than adequate tonight, at least for the time being. And she had the feeling that Chuck would let her do just about anything to him that she wanted. So she might just keep him on the string for a while. Rowena had let herself be dominated in bed by men in the past in order to get whatever she'd needed at the time, be it money, gifts, information, or just physical release. But, truth be told, she really didn't like men very much. Most of them thought that having those extra bits on their bodies enabled them to have everything, and rule everyone, and she was sick of it. If she were able to get all that she needed while exacting a little payback by doling out some physical pain, Rowena thought she wouldn't mind that at all. 

"He's in charge of our group," Chuck continued. Desiree was such a good listener, and she was so understanding. It was nice to be able to confide his innermost feelings in someone and not be judged. "The Tablet wasn't in the Catacombs, so now we have to find it. But I was glad we didn't get it." 

"Why is that?" Rowena asked him. 

Chuck's smile grew wider. "Because that meant I was able to come here tonight. If we'd gotten it, I probably would have had to go back." 

He was being such a good boy, Rowena thought affectionately. Just like a prize-winning puppy at the dog show. She leaned down and kissed him with her tongue as a reward. He responded eagerly, but after a moment she moved away from him again. 

"You have to find the Tablet?" she asked him. "So you have no idea where it is?" 

"Oh, we have an idea," he replied. "It's in the Headquarters of the white supremacist group. But we don't know exactly where that is. Cas is going to try to find out tomorrow morning." 

Well, well. Wouldn't Lucifer be interested in that little tidbit of information, Rowena thought. Too bad for him that he had been prepared to betray her. She was undecided as to what to do, here. Should she tell Lucifer? But, why should she? What had he ever done for her? Should she take the Tablet for herself, and hold it for ransom? But what would she ask for it? There was nothing she wanted that she couldn't get for herself. What DID she want at the moment? What was Rowena's fondest desire? Revenge? Her son's head on a platter? Yes, and yes. But she saw no reason why she couldn't do those things herself, and in fact, it would be more satisfying that way. She didn't need a man to do them for her. She didn't need a man for anything. 

Well, all right, maybe for one thing. Before administering the potion that would turn Chuck into a bad Angel again, Rowena wanted one more go-round. 

She leaned down to kiss him, but suddenly, Chuck sat bolt upright. Robbie! 

"I have to go," he told her. 

"What? Why?" she asked him. What was this, now? Had he received a call on that radio frequency that Angels had? She should have had him turn it off. But she wasn't supposed to know about such things; at least, not before she'd gotten him to spill his guts. 

"They'll need me," Chuck told her. He scrambled off the bed and started to pick his clothes up off the floor. "They may think I'm a loser, but I'll show them that I'm not. There's nothing more heroic than saving a little kid." 

Rowena was fuming. Dammit! She wasn't finished with him yet! 

But he was already dressed, and she hadn't thought to paint any sigils in the room. Chuck looked at her warmly and said, "I wish I didn't have to leave, but it's an emergency. I'll try to come back as soon as I can. Thanks a lot for a great evening, Desiree." 

Then he vanished, leaving a stunned and angry Rowena behind. 

Lucifer was looking at Chuck outside the bunker now. "OK, now we're talking," he said heartily. "It's a start, anyway." Then he looked at Bobby. "Tell you what. I'm feeling generous today. I'll take Chuck and Gail, for now, and send the kid back. Then we'll talk some more, if I don't get what I want from those two." 

Cas stepped forward, in front of Gail. "I told you before, that's not going to happen," he said angrily. 

"And how are you going to stop me?" Lucifer asked him, amused. "If those blue beams are the best you've got, you're in trouble, Castiel. Should I just wait here until you think of something else?" He waved his arm and flung Castiel aside. 

Cas got up and drew his Demon knife from his blazer, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to get close enough to use it. What was he going to do? 

Lucifer walked forward to where Chuck and Gail stood, but then he stopped suddenly. 

Barry and Tommy had come out of the bunker, and Barry was holding a golden candlestick in his hand, one of the two that the Pope had blessed and given to Cas and Gail as a wedding present. Barry was holding it in front of his body as if he were holding a crucifix to protect him against a vampire. 

"You aren't welcome here," Barry said to Lucifer. "I command you to leave." 

Lucifer stared at him incredulously. Who did this guy think he was, anyway? Barry, the Vampire Slayer? Lucifer started to laugh. 

"What's that you've got there?" he said to Barry. "It's very shiny." 

And indeed, it was. He found that he couldn't look directly at it. And suddenly, he wasn't able to move forward any more. What the hell kind of voodoo crap was this? 

Barry was walking towards Lucifer now and, incredibly, Lucifer was backing up. The stupid thing was shining right in his face now, blinding him. He waved his hand half-heartedly at Barry, who faltered, but stood his ground. 

"Bring Robbie back to us," Barry said. "He's just an innocent child." 

Now Lucifer was getting angry. He waved his hand again, putting everything he could into it despite the presence of that stupid stick of gold, and Barry was knocked off his feet. He dropped the candlestick and it went rolling towards Mark, who bent to pick it up. His fingers touched it and he hissed in pain. "I can't pick it up," he told Lucifer. "It burns." 

The Devil nodded. That figured. They'd obviously gone out and gotten a holy object or two, hoping to keep him at arms' length. Well, this one had worked, to a certain extent. He looked down at Barry. "Good for you," Lucifer said. "You had the courage to stand up to me. You'll be a great role model for gay guys everywhere. They can pray to you," he sneered. He snapped his fingers and gave Barry an instant brain aneurysm. He screamed and began bleeding from the ears and eyes. 

"Barry!" Tommy shouted, and he ran over to where his boyfriend lay. He dropped down to his knees beside Barry and looked down at his face. The bleeding had stopped, but Barry's eyes were closed, and he was still. Tommy fumbled, searching Barry's body for vital signs. He couldn't find any. 

"I can't get a pulse!" he shouted to the others. "He's not breathing!" 

Jody ran over and fell on her knees to Barry's other side. She tore open Barry's shirt and felt his chest. No heartbeat, no respiration. She started to do CPR on him, but based on what she'd just seen, she knew that there would be no use. 

Lucifer was smirking. "Sorry, Tommy," he said, shrugging. "I guess you'll have to find another guy to play house with, now. Maybe try Sam Winchester. He likes sex, and he's fairly domestic. Or, if you're just interested in hot sex, try Dean. I've always thought that he was in deep denial about that particular subject." 

Jody looked up at Tommy. "He's gone," she told him. "I'm so sorry, Tommy." 

Barry's boyfriend stared at her. "Gone?" he said, uncomprehending. "You mean...dead?" 

"Yeah, Tommy," Jody said wearily. 

Tommy jumped to his feet and went for Lucifer, who rolled his eyes, waving his little finger. Tommy was knocked back, but he kept his feet. 

"Don't make me kill you both on the same day," Lucifer said to him casually. 

Cas grabbed Tommy from behind. "Go back inside," he said quietly. "Barry would want you to be safe. And, Robbie will need you when he comes back." 

Tommy struggled in Cas's arms for a moment, but then he stopped, and his body went limp. He began to cry. "I loved him, Cas," Tommy said. "I should have told him that more often. And I should have given him that ring." 

Cas's heart broke for him. When Cas and Barry had been in Rome making plans for Cas and Gail's wedding, Tommy had informed Cas by phone that he had been inspired to go out and get an engagement ring for Barry. His boyfriend had been so excited for Cas and Gail, and he had been dropping some very broad hints about hoping for a more permanent arrangement with Tommy, once everything had settled down a bit. Tommy had gone out and bought the ring, and he had been planning to surprise Barry with it at Christmas. 

"Jody, Frank, please take Tommy inside," Cas said softly. He didn't want harm to come to any of their other human family. The couple came forward and put their arms around a sobbing Tommy, leading him back into the bunker. 

Cas's eyes flashed bright blue as he stared at Lucifer. His whole body was shaking with rage now. 

Tears were pooled in Gail's eyes, and she was biting her lip to keep from breaking down. She didn't want to give Lucifer the satisfaction. 

"You're a bastard," Bobby said to Lucifer. His body was shaking from anger, too. Part of it was anger at himself. Ever since he had given up being God, one disaster after another had befallen them, and now Lucifer held all the cards. 

The smug son of a bitch knew it, too. He smiled at Bobby. "Come to think of it, you're an Angel too, aren't you, big boy?" Lucifer taunted him. "And a little birdie told me that's ALL you are now. So I think I'll take you, too. If Chuck poops out on me, maybe I can get you to help me with my special project. The only reason I didn't grab you in the first place is because I'm kind of bored of you," he continued, wrinkling his nose. "I was hoping to delve into someone else's psyche, for a change." He looked at Chuck. "I think you might be kind of fun." Then he looked at Gail. "And I do believe I'll do a little probe on you, too. Pun definitely intended. As poor Barry just showed us, life is too short not to do whatever the hell you want." 

Cas's hands were curling into fists, and his pulse was beating at his temples now. Screw the Tablets. He was going to kill Lucifer right here and now. Annihilate him. The only problem was, he had no idea how he was supposed to do it. 

"I see you, Castiel," Lucifer said to him. Mark was grinning now, too. He'd said nothing this whole time, but he had been enjoying watching his Master at work. Lucifer had all of them at his mercy now. The Devil looked at Gail. "Unless you want your husband to be next, you'll come with me now." 

Gail's heart sank. She looked helplessly at Cas, who shook his head. But she couldn't see any way out. She started moving towards Lucifer. When she passed Castiel, she kissed him on the cheek. "You know where we'll be," she said softly in his ear. "Do what you have to do, once you get Robbie back." 

Chuck and Bobby came forward, too. "I'll agree to come, if you leave Gail out of this," Bobby said to Lucifer. Chuck nodded. "Yeah, me too," he chipped in. 

Lucifer smiled. "You'll be coming, anyway. Mark?" His lieutenant moved forward and grabbed the men, winking them to the mansion. 

That just left the three Originals. They stood there looking at each other for a moment. 

"I'll tell you what, Castiel," Lucifer said airily. "I won't take her, if you'll agree to get down on your knees and worship me, right now." 

Cas swore, using an earthly phrase that would have made Dean proud. 

Lucifer shrugged. "OK, suit yourself. You can't say I didn't give you a chance. If you won't get down on your knees for me, I'll make sure SHE does." 

"Like hell I will," Gail said. She had been edging over to where the candlestick lay on the ground, while Lucifer's attention was focused on Cas; however, he noticed what she was doing and grabbed her arm before she could bend down to pick it up. 

"Nice try," he said to her. In desperation, she stuck her foot out and kicked the candlestick towards Cas. It flew to him, and he caught it neatly. At the same time, Gail opened up her Original frequency and sent a private message to Crowley, shouting silently for him to come to the bunker. 

But then, Lucifer winked himself and Gail away. 

Castiel stood there, stunned, looking at the candlestick in his hand. Why had she done that? And what was he supposed to do now? 

"What in the bloody hell is that?" Crowley asked him. 

Cas wheeled around. "What are YOU doing here?" he asked the King of Hell. 

"Your missus called me," Crowley replied. He touched his forehead with his hand. "And quite loudly, I might add. I hope for your sake she doesn't shout that way when it's time for you to take the trash out." 

Castiel's eyes narrowed in speculation. She had told him to do what he needed to do. Then she had called Crowley here. He told his Brother what had happened here, and Crowley pursed his lips. "So, it's a rescue operation you're considering?" he asked the Angel. "Do you think he'll still be at the mansion, though? He knows that we know where that is." 

"He's just arrogant enough to believe that we can't touch him," Cas stated. 

Crowley looked at him, then he looked down at Barry's body. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but from everything you're telling me, he's right." 

Cas frowned. "I couldn't do anything," he told Crowley, his jaw set with frustration. "He took Gail and the others, and he killed Barry, and I couldn't do a damn thing." 

Crowley looked at the candlestick Cas was still holding. "You didn't answer my question. What's that?" 

Cas looked at him, then raised the candlestick. "This?" He pictured poor Barry, bravely facing Lucifer with only this object for protection. Cas had thought Barry's actions a little foolhardy at the time. He had obviously seen too many movies. But now, Cas thought about it. Lucifer had retreated a step or two when Barry had been holding the object, and when he had waved his hand at their human friend while Barry had been holding the candlestick, his salvo had been greatly weakened. And Gail had clearly been thinking along those same lines; she'd been trying to send him a message before Lucifer had taken her, he was sure. 

"It may be the only thing that will slow him down," Cas told Crowley. "It's a holy object, blessed by the Pope." 

"Well then, keep it away from me," Crowley said irritably. "I'm already getting a headache just being near it. Or that could just be from your wife's voice." 

Cas almost smiled. But he was still wondering why Gail had shouted for Crowley in the first place. Then it dawned on him. 

"Lucifer killed Barry, for no other reason than that he felt like it," Cas said bitterly. 

Crowley raised an eyebrow. He'd already gotten there. "And just what will you and Gail do for me in return, if I grant you this favour?" he said evenly. 

Castiel sighed. "What would you require?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even, too. 

"A pretty please and thank you, to begin with," Crowley said, his eyebrow still arched. "And, let me see...hmm...Actually, I can't think of anything specific at the moment. What about if you just owe me one? I don't have a contract prepared; we'll just have to shake on it. I can rely on you to honour a verbal agreement, can I not?" He looked at Castiel, his eyes glittering with amusement. 

Cas hesitated. Crowley was talking about an open-ended contract. He could ask for anything in the future, anything at all. There was no way Cas should even consider it. But he kept picturing Tommy's anguished face. Cas knew how devastating it felt to lose the one you loved above all else. And Tommy had bought Barry a ring. They were supposed to get married. But Cas had a long history of bad decisions, and he was not eager to add to the list. He wished Gail were here. He could ask her for her opinion. She always had a keen perspective on things. He was sure that she had summoned Crowley here so that Castiel could ask him to do it, but now it would be up to him to decide if the asking price was too high. 

"What's the holdup? Don't you trust me?" Crowley said, smirking. "Or do you have to ask the wife for her permission, first?" 

"I would like to ask Gail for her opinion, yes," Castiel confirmed, ignoring Crowley's snide tone, "but obviously, I'm unable to, at the moment." He was starting to feel very edgy now. The longer they spent wasting time here, the longer Lucifer had Gail. 

As if reading Cas's mind, Crowley asked him, "Why did Lucifer take her?" And not you, he thought, with a touch of resentment. 

Cas raised an eyebrow to his Brother. "He took her for no other reason than to spite me. He was making his usual filthy insinuations." He spat out the words. 

Crowley looked at him with interest. "You're scared green, aren't you? You're afraid he'll actually go ahead and defile your wife." 

"She'll defy him, and she'll try to fight him," Cas fretted. "That will make him angry, and he'll overpower her." 

"And then she'll be spoiled goods," Crowley said bluntly. 

Cas's hands curled into fists, and his eyes flashed. He reminded himself that they needed Crowley, for the time being, at least. "How dare you say something like that?" he said in his quiet voice. "If that's the way you think, it's no wonder you were never able to find a mate. It's for HER sake that I want to save her from that experience, not for my own." 

Crowley dipped his head slightly in apology. Perhaps his remark had gone a bit too far, especially for this day and age. But he would never admit that out loud, of course. "All right, Castiel, we'll figure something out. I don't want anything like that to happen to her, either." Then he smirked again. "It'll make it that much less special when I do it to her, then." 

Castiel glared daggers at him. "I presume you think you're being funny, but you're not." 

She would have thought so, Crowley thought to himself, but he said with equanimity, "Yes I am; you just have no sense of humour, Castiel. So, tick tock. Do we have a deal, or not?" 

Cas was still hesitant.   
"I can practically hear Lucifer undoing his flies, right now," the King of Hell said, tilting his head as if listening for a sound. 

"All right, all right, we have a deal," Cas said hurriedly. 

The two men clasped hands, and Crowley's hand glowed red for a moment, while Castiel's glowed blue. Cas looked at the purple hue that the two colours produced, feeling sick to his stomach. He prayed that he had not just made another colossal mistake. 

Crowley went over to where Barry lay and knelt down at his side. Then he looked up at Cas. "I'm going to snap out for a moment, after he gets up. I presume you're going to take him into the bunker for the tearful reunion, but I don't want to be here when he wakes. Too many questions. After you deliver him, come back here immediately." 

Cas wasn't too wild about the way that his Brother was ordering him around, but for a change, he held his tongue. Crowley was doing them an immense favour here, and even though Cas had no doubt that the King intended to call in this chit one day, there was nothing in it for him at the moment, so he didn't have to be doing it. 

Crowley bent down and opened Barry's mouth with his hands. He smirked. "I wish I could say this kind of position was a first for me, but I'd be lying," he quipped. Then he bent down and breathed a tiny puff of smoke into Barry's mouth, and then he put his lips on Barry's for a moment to make sure the breath was absorbed. 

"Don't tell Tommy, but I slipped him some tongue," Crowley said, still smirking. Then he snapped his fingers and disappeared. 

An instant later, Barry stirred. He opened his eyes and started to sit up. "Cas?" he said, seeing his friend. 

Cas crouched beside him, unable to speak for a moment. No matter how many times he saw the process of revival, it never failed to amaze him. And Crowley had done it so effortlessly, with a simple puff of his breath. How Castiel wished that their Father had seen fit to have allowed him to retain the power of revival. He would never have had to request Crowley's assistance in that regard, and Cas would never have to be beholden to him. And he could just imagine the sweet relief in being able to revive Dean, or Sam, or any of their group, at any time. And, because Castiel was an Original, he would be able to breathe his essence into Gail to bring her back as well, whenever it was necessary. Just as Crowley had done with Cas himself, when he had been executed. The mere thought of all the missed opportunities made Cas feel like crying. His various screw-ups had cost him dearly over the years, but none of his Father's punishments had hurt him as much as that one had. 

But for now, Castiel was able to just appreciate the miracle, and experience the joy he now felt when he was able to help their friend to his feet. 

"Is everyone all right?" Barry asked Cas dazedly. 

Cas smiled; he couldn't help it. Barry's first question after being through what he had just been through had been about the well-being of others. A man like this was truly worth saving. 

"Yes, they're fine," Cas told him, hoping it was true. "But you gave us all a scare, especially Tommy. We'd better go see him now, so he can see that you're all right." 

"Where is he?" Barry said eagerly, looking around them. 

"He's inside the bunker," Cas advised him. 

Barry started to walk towards where the door to the bunker was, but he tottered a bit, and Cas caught him. "Here, let me help you." He put his arm around Barry's waist to steady him. 

"What if Gail sees?" Barry joked weakly. "Won't she be jealous?" 

"We'll see her soon," Cas replied lightly. God willing, he thought. "We just won't tell her about it." 

He helped Barry to the bunker door, and down the stairs. 

"I have someone here who would like to apologize for scaring everyone," Cas announced, as Barry made his way slowly down the stairs. 

Tommy, Frank and Jody were sitting at the library table. They had been sitting there in somber silence ever since the couple had escorted Barry's sobbing boyfriend inside the bunker. Jody had held Tommy as Frank had stalked down the hall to the room where Dean kept the bar. Frank had been livid, literally shaking with anger. He'd punched the wall on the way there and grabbed the biggest bottle of whiskey he could find. Now there was a huge dent in the wall, and he was fairly sure he might have broken his hand, or at least, severely bruised the knuckles. It had been quite a while since he'd felt that same kind of pain. But he hadn't cared. He had yanked the bottle of whiskey from the bar and taken it out to the library area, plunking it down on the table. The Winchesters kept some coffee mugs in the cupboard by the coffee nook there, and Frank grabbed three of them by the handles with the hand that wasn't bleeding, filling them with liquor. 

"Drink," Frank had ordered Tommy, who had grabbed his mug with shaking hands and brought it to his lips. 

Everyone's mugs were about half-empty now, and they had been sitting there in miserable silence when Cas and Barry came in. Tommy was no longer sobbing, but he was still silently weeping. Jody had gone to the kitchen to find some ice to put on Frank's hand, and she had come back with a bag of frozen vegetables, which she had rested on his knuckles. Then she had picked her glass up and knocked back half of its contents. Normally, she would have made some kind of a joke about the abject weirdness of seeing vegetables of any kind in the Winchesters' kitchen, but she'd said nothing. 

Tommy's head snapped up as Barry descended the stairs. He knocked his mug over with a trembling hand, spilling the remainder of the whiskey from it. He rose from his chair slowly. "Barry?" he said in a voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. 

Barry reached the foot of the staircase with Cas right behind him, in case he faltered. But seeing Tommy seemed to give Barry the strength he needed. "I'm sorry if I scared anybody," he said sheepishly. 

Jody was staring at him, open-mouthed. She was a cop; she knew dead when she saw it, and Barry had been dead. Deceased. No more. She'd been positive. How was this possible? 

As usual, Frank could be counted on for candour. "You're supposed to be dead," he said to Barry. 

"Well, apparently, I'm not," Barry replied cheerfully. "Cas said the bastard just knocked me out." 

Tommy rushed over to his boyfriend, but then he stopped short when he got to where Barry stood. He touched Barry's face. A huge lump formed in Cas's throat when he saw that. That was the way that Gail always touched him when she wanted to comfort him, and she did it with so much love in her eyes, just the same way as Tommy was looking at Barry right now. "You're alive," Tommy said. "Oh, honey. I thought I had lost you." 

"Never," Barry responded firmly, putting his arms around Tommy. "I'm never going anywhere without you." 

The two men kissed, and Cas's eyes blurred with tears. Any doubts as to whether he'd done the right thing had vanished now. 

Tommy looked at Cas. "Thank you, Cas," he said fervently. Despite what Barry had just said, Tommy was convinced that his boyfriend had been killed by Lucifer. "Thank you for bringing him back to me." Now he was weeping again, but Tommy knew that Cas would understand. Their friend truly was an Angel, in every sense of the word. 

But Cas merely shrugged. "Don't thank me. I didn't do anything." He looked at Frank and Jody. "I want the four of you to stay inside the bunker, please. I need to take this - " he waved the candlestick he held in his hand " - with me, but the standard protections on this building are still in place, so you'll be safe, as long as you stay inside. I have to go." 

"Do you need any help?" Frank said, taking the bag of frozen vegetables off his hand and throwing it on the table. Cas looked at it, then looked at Frank's hand, but he did not comment. He could add two and two, and he completely understood. 

"No, Frank," he said. "Please stay here. I can't worry about all of you at the same time." 

Frank frowned, but Cas had no time to worry about Gail's brother's feelings. He winked out of the bunker.


	2. Where Were You When I Needed You?

Lucifer was standing in the library of the mansion, waiting for Jason to bring Robbie up out of the basement. He was looking down at the Angels, smiling. Now, things were finally going his way. Surely, either Chuck or Bobby would provide the key. They were both excellent candidates, in his opinion. Chuck was a craven coward, a supposedly reformed sleazebag who couldn't quite seem to come down solidly on either side. And if for some reason Lucifer couldn't crack him, there was the Devil's old cage mate, Bobby. Lucifer liked his chances. 

And then there was the Angel Gail. He had already tried to woo her, and then he had tried to rape her, and then he had tried to trick her. But none of those methods had done him any good, nor had they broken her spirit or shut her mouth. Even now, she was looking up at him warily, with defiance in her eyes. He'd be doing something about that too, that was for sure. 

Jason entered the room, holding little Robbie's hand. Mark was with them, having been sent by Lucifer to retrieve the pair. He was glaring at the boy. He'd never seen Robbie this quiet and docile before. If he had been this well-behaved when Mark had been around, maybe Mark would have liked the kid more. As it was now, Mark had zero feelings for the boy. He was only a means to an end. 

Robbie's face lit up when he saw the Angels, but he said nothing. Jason had told him that Lucifer hated noisy, sniveling brats, and if Robbie wanted to live to see his teens, he'd better keep his mouth shut around the Boss. He hadn't mistreated Robbie, but the boy had seen Jason's teeth, and he knew what Jason was. He wouldn't mind being an Angel one bit when he died, but Robbie definitely didn't want to be a vampire. Gross. So he had vowed to behave for Jason, and he'd kept his vow. 

"We're going to Site B now," Lucifer said to Jason. "I'll take the Angels, and you can fly the kid there. He'll enjoy that." 

Gail's forehead wrinkled. Fly? She didn't know that vampires could actually fly. She'd always thought that was a movie myth. But she should have figured that Lucifer wouldn't make it that easy for Cas to find them. Damn. 

But her pulse quickened when Lucifer told Mark, "I want you to stay here to welcome our guest. Or, guests." 

Mark frowned. "What do you mean? What guests?" 

Lucifer tilted his head at his lieutenant. "We all know that Castiel isn't going to just give up. He'll be here in just a few minutes. He'll probably be alone, but he might bring the Winchesters. You can kill the Winchesters if you want, but bring Castiel to me, alive and unharmed." 

"He's not going to come quietly," Mark stated. 

Lucifer sighed. "All right, wound him if you must. But try not to maim or disfigure him. That's my job." Then he grinned. "How would we be able to display his vessel's head in Heaven if it's unrecognizable?" 

"What are you talking about?" Gail said sharply. She knew, of course; now she was just trying to stall, to give Cas time to get here. Hopefully, he would be bringing both the candlestick and Crowley. She'd had no time to communicate with him, but Gail was pretty sure he would get what she'd been trying to say. The only problem was, if Cas had been able to persuade Crowley to revive Barry, which she also hoped, his arrival would be delayed. 

Lucifer fixed her with a baleful stare. "You may be gutter trash, but you're not stupid," he snapped. "You're stalling. Try being more subtle next time." He rushed over to where the Angels sat side by side on the couch, grabbing Chuck with one hand and Bobby with the other. 

"Take her hand," he barked at the men. 

"Screw you," Bobby said, and Lucifer's eyes flashed red. He looked at Chuck, eyes glowing. "Take her hand!" Lucifer roared. Chuck lost his cool and took Gail's hand, and Lucifer winked them all out of the mansion. 

Robbie's eyes were as big as saucers now, and Jason and Mark were smirking. 

"Tell Castiel I said hello," Jason said to Mark. "See if you can slip, and accidentally castrate him. That could be another trophy for the display case. Or maybe Gail will want it, as a memento." He laughed harshly, then grabbed Robbie by the hand and led him to the terrace outside. "Hold on tight to my hand," Jason told the boy. "Trust me, you wouldn't want me to drop you." And then, they were gone. 

The first group reappeared in another building a moment later, and Gail was glaring at Lucifer. "You were supposed to release Robbie, if we agreed to come." 

"Says who?" Lucifer replied sarcastically. 

"You did!" she exclaimed. 

Lucifer moved close to her. "Pssst. I hear the Devil is a notorious liar," he said, grinning. 

"What are you keeping him for?" Bobby said irritably. "You've got the three of us, now." 

Chuck was ashamed of his cowardice a moment ago, and he was determined to stand up to Lucifer like the other two were. "Yeah, you've got God," he said, gesturing to Bobby. "What more do you want?" 

Lucifer laughed shortly. "Found those cojones, Chuck? Good for you. But, what kind of Prophet are you? Didn't you get the word? Bobby's no more God than you and I are. Actually, I'd be closer than you. At least I have amazing powers. But poor old Bobby doesn't any more. Do you, Roomie?" 

"Stay on the subject," Gail said. "Why ARE you hanging onto Robbie? We're your leverage, now." 

Lucifer stared at her coldly. Boy, was he going to enjoy beating the defiance out of her. "Whenever any of my servants questions me, they quickly regret it," he said to her. "Care to test me?" 

He raised his hand to Gail, but Chuck moved in front of her. "She's only asking you a question," he said, with a calm he didn't feel. "And in case you haven't noticed, none of us are your servants." 

Lucifer stared into Chuck's eyes with an angry expression, but then he slowly started to smile. "Wait a second...You got laid!" he said to Chuck. "You dawg! You just got yourself some! No wonder you're so frisky!" Then he frowned. "Unfortunately, that means you won't be nearly as pliable as I was hoping. Now that you've temporarily gotten your groove back, so to speak, I can't play on your resentment as much as I could have when you were frustrated." He tented his fingers together. "What to do, what to do?" 

He flicked his hand and Chuck went flying into the wall, then he crumpled to the floor. Lucifer grabbed Gail by the wrist. 

"Screw it, I'm just gonna take you now," he said to her. "Why should I wait any longer? Even Chuck's getting some action." 

Gail was struggling, trying to twist her arm out of his grip. "Let go!" she yelled. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" 

He smiled. "You're talking as if you had a choice," he said. 

"I won't allow it," Bobby said. He wound up and punched Lucifer in the face. 

Lucifer rubbed his jaw. "Not bad, Bobby. If you were a few years younger, that might have knocked me down. How about you just rest for a bit?" He waved his hand and Bobby was shoved into a chair and immobilized. 

Lucifer looked at Gail. "You're awfully quiet, all of a sudden," he said to her. "I like you better this way." 

"Don't get too used to it," she retorted. Truthfully, she was becoming encouraged. The more annoyed Lucifer got, the more likely it was that he was going to make a mistake. At least, she certainly hoped so. If she didn't believe that, she would start to panic. But how on earth were they ever going to get out of this situation? 

"That's all right, I have a solution to having to listen to you run your mouth," Lucifer said, raising his voice. He pushed her down onto her knees. "You'll stay down there until one of two things happens: You'll either service me, or you'll worship me." 

Gail was really scared now, but she wasn't going to show it, of course. She began to laugh, instead. "Then I guess I'll be down here a while, cause I'm not going to do either," she told him. "I could maybe scrub the floor, if you've got a brush." 

That was it. Lucifer had had it with the bitch. He reached down and grabbed her by the hair. "Last chance," he said. "I would suggest that the least painful option would be to worship me," he added, gritting his teeth. "As you may be aware, I've never actually...put it this way: I could tear you apart. You know I could." 

He was pulling on her hair, and now he went to the belt on his pants and started to undo it with his free hand. Her head hurt, and she tried to fight, but he had her body immobilized now. Crap. She was really in trouble here. He had the belt off now, and he held it in his other hand. He drew back his arm and whipped her with the belt, again and again. She cried out in pain. 

"What's the matter, Gail?" Lucifer yelled over her cries. "Don't you like it rough, sometimes?" 

Chuck had had enough. Fortunately, Lucifer had not bothered to immobilize him, likely thinking that he was too much of a coward to do anything. But Chuck couldn't stand to see this, or to hear Gail's cries of pain. He picked himself up off the floor and ran across the room, tackling Lucifer from behind. Both men fell to the floor, and the belt went flying out of Lucifer's hand. 

Bobby's paralysis broke, and he leapt out of his chair. He reached down and helped Gail to her feet. He started to heal her wounds and Gail smiled at him gratefully. But then her eyes widened. He was healing her! Did that mean there were no sigils here? 

Lucifer and Chuck were rolling around on the floor, and Chuck was being relentless in his attack. He knew that if he let up for one second, the Devil was going to pulverize him. Gail watched helplessly, wishing that she could think of something to do to help Chuck. She looked at Bobby. "Help him!" she said desperately. 

"How?" Bobby asked her. 

Gail was frustrated. "I don't know, Bobby! You just healed me, didn't you? That must mean there aren't any sigils here!" 

Chuck heard her, and he tried to wink out of the room. "I can't do anything!" he shouted, still fighting valiantly. 

The Devil's eyes were glowing red now. Chuck was becoming a real pain in his ass. If he could just get a hand free for a second, he was going to blast Prophet Boy into next week. 

"Do you need some help there?" Jason said with amusement. He had just arrived with Robbie in tow and he stood in the doorway, watching the fight. He had to hand it to Chuck; not too many beings could tussle like that with Lucifer and remain in one piece. 

But Chuck was starting to flag, now. He hadn't fought for a while, and he was getting tired now. He probably should have asked Cas to spar with him and keep him sharp. He lost his grip on one of Lucifer's arms, and once that happened, he knew he was done. 

Chuck closed his eyes, waiting for the killing blow, but Lucifer surprised him. "Good try," the Devil said, and he let go of Chuck and stood up. "Take Chuck, Gail, and the kid to the basement," Lucifer instructed Jason. He looked at Bobby. "Me and my ex-roommate are going to have a little chat." 

Gail was pacing the basement floor, trying to figure out what they were going to do. She couldn't count on Cas and Crowley to find them and rescue them. They had to do it themselves. 

Her first priority had to be Robbie, though. He was sitting in a corner of the room, crying silently. Jason had herded her and Chuck and Robbie down here and slammed the door shut, locking it, and then the boy had burst into tears. She had gone to comfort him, but Robbie had sniffled back the tears almost immediately. 

"Jason said that Lucifer will kill me if I don't keep quiet," Robbie told her. "He said he might kill me anyway, if he doesn't get what he wants." 

"Did Jason tell you what he wants?" Chuck had asked Robbie. 

"No," the child had replied. Then he had crawled into the corner of the room and sat there quietly, making himself as small as possible. He missed Frank and Jody, and Barry and Tommy. When Grandpa God and Aunt Gail and Uncle Chuck showed up, Robbie had thought they were going to take him home. But now, they were all locked up together, and Robbie was scared. 

Gail was scared too, but she was also mad. "How could Bobby have healed me, Chuck?" she asked him, "You and I can't do anything!" 

Chuck frowned. "So it's true? Bobby isn't God anymore?" 

Gail sighed. "Yeah. It's true." She glanced at Robbie, but he didn't react. She supposed it didn't really matter; the can was open now, and the worms were flying all over the place. Most of their group knew now that Bobby wasn't God any more, and Crowley and Lucifer obviously knew, too. "But then, how was Bobby able to do what he did? And, you know what? Now that I think of it, Cas told me that Bobby used his powers to fight Paul, back at the mansion! What are we missing, here?" 

"I don't know, but do you think he's going to be able to get us out of here?" Chuck asked hopefully. 

Gail frowned. "I don't know, Chuck." The whole thing was puzzling to her. Why would Bobby have powers here, if he was no longer God? Would he truly be able to overpower Lucifer? She highly doubted that. Even Cas and Crowley couldn't do it. And deep down, she suspected that Bobby was intimidated by Lucifer, maybe even frightened of him. She didn't want to say so out loud to Chuck, or in front of Robbie, but Gail had suspected for a long time now that it was true. Only she and the Winchesters had seen Bobby when he was deep in his mental illness, once he'd gotten back from his time in the cage with Lucifer. Gail might have more sympathy for Bobby than most people because of it. So she didn't think they could necessarily rely on him. 

They were in the basement of the second house Lucifer had winked them to, and there was only the one locked door that led in and out of the room. Aside from a few cobwebs and empty boxes, there wasn't anything else down here that Gail could see. She and Chuck had both searched the room once Jason had left. 

There was only one very small window up above, which probably led to the backyard of the house. But it was too high up to reach, and even if they could reach it, it was too small for the Angels to exit through, and it had bars across it. Still, Gail kept staring at it every time she paced that way. A window was an exit, wasn't it? There had to be a way. Too bad Cas wasn't here; he could just blast the bars out of the window with that blue laser beam thingie of his, just like in the Secret Garden. She wished she had some of those wild animals here now; she'd have them rip Jason's throat out. Lucifer's, too, if she could pin him down long enough. 

Why hadn't God given her the same thing, instead of lame-ass powers like instant cleaning? Gail didn't mean to seem ungrateful, but she was frustrated that none of the powers she did possess seemed to be of much use in these types of situations. 

She threw her arms out towards the window just as she'd seen Cas do, and all of a sudden, gold beams shot out from her fingertips. What the hell?! She aimed her hands at the bars and a moment later, she could see that she had created gaps in the bars, just like the gaps that had appeared in the cats' cages at the Secret Garden. So she kept at it, and eventually, the bars were knocked out of the window. 

Gail turned around, gaping at Chuck. 

"What the hell was that?" he asked her. 

"I have no idea," she said, dazed. Then she looked at the door. Should she try what she had just done on it? But it looked much heavier, and she didn't necessarily want to call attention to themselves; at least, not yet. For all she knew, Jason was standing guard right outside. She looked at Robbie, then grabbed Chuck by the arm, pulling him towards the child. 

"Come on, Robbie, we're going to send you home," Gail said. She took him by the hand and pulled him to his feet. 

Chuck knew what she had in mind, he just wasn't sure how they were going to pull it off. The window no longer had bars on it, but it was beyond their reach. 

"Boost me up," she said to him. "I'll get Robbie outside, and then I'll give him the push to the bunker." 

That was brilliant, Chuck thought. He led the two of them over to the window. 

"I'm going to grab you and push you through the open window as soon as Uncle Chuck boosts us up there, OK?" Gail told Robbie. "Then, the next thing you see will be the bunker." 

"Aren't you gonna come, too?" Robbie asked them. He wasn't crying now, but his lower lip was trembling. 

"We're too big to fit through the window," Chuck told the boy. "We'll be along soon, as soon as we figure out a different way to get out of here." 

Gail's heart sank. She certainly hoped that was true. But she could see why Chuck had said that to Robbie. The sooner they got him out of here without him starting to cry, the better. She scooped the child up in her arms, then Chuck took a knee and she stepped onto his thigh. He laced his hands together and boosted her up. Gail was balancing on Chuck's hands now, stretching to get Robbie out the window. He just barely fit, but she got him through. Chuck's arm muscles were screaming, but he held her as steady as he could until she was able to get her hand on Robbie's forehead and give him the push. 

The moment Robbie disappeared, Chuck's arms gave way, and Gail came tumbling down. He grabbed for her, trying to break her fall, and she fell on top of him, knocking the wind out of him. 

"Are you OK?" Chuck asked her, once he could breathe again. 

"I'm fine, Chuck. Thanks for the soft landing," she said, smiling. 

"Are you trying to say I'm soft?" he joked. 

"Well..." she replied, playing along, "maybe you should cut down on the doughnuts with your morning coffee." She poked him in the stomach, then rolled off of him and extended her hand. They helped each other up off the floor. 

"What now?" Chuck asked her. 

Gail shrugged. Hell if she knew. But at least Robbie was safe now. 

Sam and Dean had eaten a leisurely breakfast and drunk several cups of coffee, and still, no Angels. 

"Man, I hope that little kid's OK," Dean said to his brother. 

Sam nodded. "Well, while Cas is taking care of business over there, I think we should take care of business here. I think we should go back to the catacombs and see if we can talk to that tour guide, like Cas was gonna do. I think he was right; that guy's probably the best place to start." 

About an hour later, they were taking the tour again. When they passed by the arch over the passageway that led to the restricted area, Sam couldn't help but glance in that direction. All these innocent tourists had no idea what was going on down there. Actually, neither did he and Dean, but they were damn well going to find out. 

Dean was making sure not to let the tour guide out of his sight. The guy was polite and professional, but Dean thought there was something a little off about him. Maybe it was just his imagination, but Dean was starting to get the impression that the guy was just putting on an act. 

There was an Asian family on the tour, and one of the kids ran by the tour guide, bumping him, and he frowned. "No running!" he said sternly. "Damn slant-eyes," he added under his breath. Because Dean had been sticking close to the guy, he heard. Dean gave Sam a look, and Sam gave a brief nod in return. If Cas and Gail were good at non-verbal communication, Sam and Dean were experts. 

The tour concluded, and the brothers hung back as the other people climbed the stairs to the exit. 

"Can we ask you a couple of questions?" Dean asked the guide. 

"The tour's over, my friend," the man said to him. 

"Yeah, we know," Dean said. "But my brother and I wanted to ask you a couple of things that we thought might not go over so big with that group we just had." 

"What do you mean?" the guide asked. 

"Too much...variety, shall we say?" Sam said. "My brother and I are interested in the story behind the story. We were on the tour yesterday with some of our friends, and you mentioned that the Nazis used to have a bunker down here. We were hoping you could give us some more details on that." 

The tour guide frowned. "Why would you want to know about something so terrible?" 

Dean looked around, but the three men were alone now. "Because we don't necessarily think it's so terrible," he said quietly. 

Sam made himself smile. "You'll have to pardon us. You can probably tell we're Americans, and this is our first trip to Europe. It's just really exciting to be in places where there were actual Nazis, you know what I mean? We're here for a couple of weeks, and then we're going to Germany, to see where it all began." 

"We can't wait," Dean added. "We belong to a group back home that's like your Rebels Blanks here. Actually, we were kinda hoping to meet some of those guys and buy them a beer." 

The tour guide was smirking now. "You don't say. Well, they might prefer wine. And it's pronounced 'Les Rebelles Blancs'." 

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Dean said, shrugging. "It would just be nice to meet some other guys who think like we do. These days, everything's so damn politically correct. You can't swing a dead cat back home without hitting an immigrant. And if you did, they'd probably eat it for dinner. They come to the States and they take our jobs, and they can't even speak English." 

"And they stink, too," Sam chimed in. "The first thing the government should give them when they get off the boat is a bar of soap." 

The tour guide grinned. "I know what you mean," he told them. "You should get a load of some of the people I have to put up with here." 

The Winchesters nodded, and after a moment's consideration, the man said, "What's the expression? I'll hook you up." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a pad of paper. He scribbled down an address and tore off the sheet, handing it to Dean. "You and your brother might enjoy having a beer at this place," he told Dean. "If anyone there asks, you can tell them that Etienne gave you the information." 

"Thanks," Sam said. "See you around." 

"If you go tonight, you might see me there," Etienne said. He grinned. "I like wine, and I like talking about history. I could tell you some things about the Nazis that would probably interest you." 

"Right on," Dean said. "We'll see you later, then." 

He and Sam exited the Catacombs and started to walk back to their hotel. "I'm not looking forward to this," Sam told his brother. 

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Dean agreed, making a face. "I feel like we're gonna have to do some community service after this. Or run around apologizing to all of the ethnic groups in the world, or something." 

"Means to an end," Sam said, frowning. "We'll just have to keep reminding ourselves of that." 

"I wonder what's going on with Cas," Dean said. "And Gail, and Frank and Jody. I was hoping we would've heard from one of them by now." 

Sam continued to frown. He'd been hoping, too. "We'll just have to keep the faith," he told his brother. "That's all we can do, Dean." 

Mark was bleeding copiously now, and he was in tremendous pain. But still, he was defiant. 

"Do you know what he'll do to me if I tell you where he is?" he said. 

"Do you know what we'll do to you if you don't?" Castiel asked him, walking slowly around the chair Mark was bound to. Cas's blade was soaked with Mark's blood, which was dripping steadily on the floor. 

"What can you do to me that you haven't already done?" Mark sneered. 

"Oh, you have no idea," Crowley said cheerfully. He did enjoy watching Castiel work. It had been the same with Paul. What a shame that Castiel couldn't be a Demon; Crowley could lay off at least half of the staff in his Torture Department. It seemed incongruous for an Angel to be a master at inflicting pain on a victim, but Castiel was astonishingly efficient in his methods. They had known each other since the beginning of time, but this side of his Brother never ceased to amaze him. How had he gone from a meek and peaceful shepherd to this? And they said that Hell corrupted souls. 

Castiel slashed Mark several more times. "I can do this all day," he told the fallen Angel calmly. "The question is, how long can YOU do it?" Cas looked at Crowley. "I'm losing my patience, though. What do you think, Crowley? Should we remove his eyelids? I don't think he can see how serious we are." 

Crowley's jaw dropped open. Had that been a torture joke? Just when he thought Castiel couldn't get any more left-of-centre. But if his Brother was smart, he would make sure that Gail never saw this side of him. Bad enough that she'd seen the aftermath, when she'd caught him here, with Crowley and Paul. 

"Do what you will, Castiel," Crowley told him affably. 

Cas held his blade to Mark's face and smiled coldly at him. "I'll give you one more chance to tell us where they are, before I really go to work. And I will not hurry the job." 

"What you do to me will hurt me, but I will receive untold rewards when Lucifer ascends to rule Heaven," Mark retorted. 

Castiel was frustrated. They had been here too long, and Mark was still holding out. Paul hadn't known anything of value when Cas had tortured him a while back; that was why he had left Crowley to deal with him. Despite the high place he'd thought he held in Lucifer's hierarchy, Paul had just been a rank and file Demon, eminently expendable. But Mark was the Devil's lieutenant, and both Castiel and Crowley knew that he would be privy to Lucifer's secrets. All Cas cared about at the moment was where Gail and the others were. But he had been torturing Mark with his blade ever since he and Crowley had gotten here, and Mark remained defiant. 

Mark had been taken by surprise when Castiel and Crowley had shown up together. He'd been anticipating Castiel's arrival, but Mark had been arrogant, thinking that the Angel would either come alone, or would bring a human or two. Mark knew that Castiel would be powerless in a building covered with sigils, and the humans could not do him any harm. 

But he had not counted on an appearance by the King of Hell. Crowley's powers were superior to Mark's, and sigils did not affect Crowley one iota. So Crowley had subdued Mark, and then Castiel had bound him to a chair and gone to work on him. 

Mark didn't know how much longer he could maintain his facade. He was in the most pain he'd ever been in his existence, and he knew that Castiel was indeed prepared to continue the torture for as long as it took. He was terrified when Castiel held the blade to his eyes. But, what could he do? This was truly the fire or the frying pan. He couldn't betray his Master like that. Could Lucifer replace Mark's eyes, if Castiel cut them out? Then a small voice in the back of Mark's mind piped up: The more accurate question might be, would he? When Aurielle had lost half of her face to that wild cat, Lucifer had made her stay that way, ugly and disfigured, presumably as some sort of punishment. If Mark gave up the information, Lucifer would take no pity on him. 

"I cannot betray my Master," Mark insisted stubbornly. "He will look after me, no matter what happens." 

"Really?" Castiel said, smiling grimly. "Just like he cared enough for you to leave you here for me? Knowing that I would torture you within an inch of your life?" He put his blade down on the floor and withdrew the golden candlestick from his blazer pocket. "Maybe we'll just burn your eyes out instead, or etch a message for him onto your skin." He touched the candlestick to Mark's forehead, and the Gospel writer screamed as the object burned his skin. Then Castiel took the candlestick away from Mark's face. The place where it had touched Mark's skin was black in colour now, and Crowley could smell the burning flesh. It kind of reminded him of the good old days. Mark was crying with agony now. Wow, Crowley thought. If only he could get his hands on an object like that, to use on some of the recalcitrant children he had in Hell. They'd be singing like canaries. Of course, if Crowley were to try to handle something like that, it would burn his flesh right off, as well. Too bad. 

"Let's make a cross," Castiel said conversationally. "I'll bet Lucifer would just love to have to look at one of those every day." He went to touch Mark's forehead with the candlestick again, but Mark said, "No! Please, don't. I'll tell you." 

"No, what you'll do is TAKE us," Crowley said. Cas looked at him, impressed. That was a far better idea. 

Mark sighed. "All right." At least Lucifer would see the marks on him and realize that the information had been tortured out of him. That had to count for something, didn't it? He just couldn't stand being touched by that candlestick any more. Not only did it burn his flesh, but it had also seemed to rebuke him, putting strange visions in his head. In the few seconds that it had been pressed against his skin, Mark had been five Angels holding five Tablets, and the Tablets were glowing brightly. He'd also seen Gail stabbing Lucifer with a blade, and Castiel standing over a grave, crying. What did that all mean? Was it possible that Lucifer was going to lose? 

No. He couldn't accept that. Mark had lived his entire existence waiting for the time that Lucifer would rise from their Father's prison cell and take his rightful place on the throne, and he would not lose faith in his Master now. 

But he couldn't serve effectively if he were gravely injured, or blind. "Untie me," Mark said. 

Robbie appeared in the back yard of the bunker. Gail had given him an extra-hard push, just to make sure, and he overbalanced and fell down. "Ow!" he cried out. 

Jody was just coming out the door when she heard his exclamation. She had stormed up the stairs to get a breath of fresh air after arguing with Frank. Her intention had just been to cool off for a moment, but now she wondered if a little divine intervention had been at play. 

"Robbie?" she yelled. She ran over to where he lay on the ground and picked him up, hugging him tightly to her. 

Robbie threw his arms around her neck, and now he was crying again. "I never thought I'd see you guys again," the boy told her. "I love you, Mommy." 

Now Jody was crying, too. When she and Frank had first taken Robbie in, Frank had told Robbie to call them by their first names. They were there to take care of him, but they knew they could never replace his parents, Frank and Jody had said. So Robbie had called them Frank and Jody, and all the other humans and Angels were Aunts and Uncles. He still called Bobby Grandpa God, from time to time. Felicia had never quite been able to break him of the habit. 

But Jody didn't give a damn what Robbie was calling her now, just as long as she was able to hold him, and to look at him. She took his arms gently away from around her neck and looked him up and down. 

"Are you OK?" she asked him. 

"Yeah," he said, sniffling back the tears. Robbie could see that she was crying too, and he remembered that if a woman was crying, it was the guy's job to comfort her. So he touched her face with his hand, just like he'd seen Aunt Gail do with Uncle Cas. 

"It's OK, Mom," Robbie said. "I'm OK." 

Jody had to swallow hard, because the lump in her throat threatened to prevent her from being able to speak. She never thought she would hear a boy calling her "Mom" ever again. 

"How did you get here?" Jody asked him. 

"Aunt Gail and Uncle Chuck sent me," Robbie told her. Then he frowned. "But Lucifer's still got them locked up, and Grandpa God's there, too." 

"Where?" Jody asked hopefully. 

"I don't know, Mom," Robbie replied. "A vampire flew me there." 

A vampire?! Was the stress affecting Robbie's mind? Jody picked him up in her arms and ran to the bunker door. 

"Frank! Frank!" she shouted, yanking the door open. 

He ran towards the stairs. "What?" 

Jody set Robbie down, and he ran down the stairs as Frank ran up. They met halfway, and Frank picked Robbie up and swung him around, and then he embraced the boy. 

"Daddy!" Robbie exclaimed. He'd been wanting to call them Mom and Dad for a while now, and he couldn't help himself. He hoped they weren't going to be mad about it. 

Frank looked up at Jody, who was standing at the top of the stairs, smiling down at them. Now Frank started to cry, too. Whoever would have thought that some little kid would ever call him Daddy? And whoever would have thought that the absence of this same little kid would have ripped Frank's heart right out of his chest? 

He carried Robbie down the stairs, yelling, "Barry! Tommy! He's back! Our boy is back!" 

The men came running down the hall as Frank sat Robbie down on the library table, looking closely at the child. Thank God; he didn't have a mark on him. 

Jody told the men what Robbie had said, and even though they were all over the moon to have Robbie back, now they were worried about the others. 

"Cas went to the mansion, but they're not there anymore," Frank fretted. "I wonder if we should call him." 

"And tell him what?" Jody asked sharply. 

Frank's mouth snapped shut. Good point. All they knew was that Lucifer had relocated the group to another house, with a basement. Not a hell of a lot to go on. 

Robbie was stuffing his face now. Barry had brought him a huge bowl of strawberry ice cream, Robbie's favourite, and Barry had sprinkled a few gummy bears on top. Robbie always requested both, but Tommy had always told him he could have a bit of one, or a bit of the other. "Moderation is the key, my boy," Tommy always said. Robbie had looked at Barry with a puzzled expression when Tommy had said that, and Barry had explained, "He just means that you can't always get everything you want." Then Robbie had nodded, shrugging. He knew that. Only babies expected to get everything they wanted. But he was getting a real treat now, and he knew the reason why. Robbie may be young, but he wasn't stupid. And he was just as thrilled to see them as they were to see him. But Robbie's stomach hurt, and it wasn't from the ice cream. He was worried about Grandpa God, Aunt Gail, and Uncle Chuck. And Uncle Cas, who had apparently gone out looking for them. Who did you pray to, when who you were praying for were the ones you usually asked to watch over everyone else? 

But that was too deep of a question for such a young boy. Robbie finished his ice cream and jumped into Frank's lap, and then several minutes later, he was fast asleep. 

VIGNETTE - Mama 

Lucifer had crawled back into Bobby's brain now, and he was pitching a tent. Perhaps because he'd lived there for so long before, it had been easy for him to invade Bobby's psyche this time. Bobby was trying to put up a fight, but he'd lost in the past, so Lucifer wasn't too concerned about the resistance. 

"What do you want?" Bobby asked him. "What are you hoping to accomplish?" 

"Why, I want your job, Bobby," Lucifer said mildly. 

"Well, you can damn well have it," Bobby snapped back. "You obviously know I'm not God any more. I guess Crowley told you. That guy knows way more than he should." 

"Yes, he certainly does," Lucifer agreed cheerfully. "And I wish it were that easy. But it's just a little, teeny-tiny bit more complicated than me moving into your office and changing the password on your computer." 

"What do you mean?" Bobby asked him irritably. 

"I have to be invited," Lucifer told him. "You know, that old chestnut. One of the designated Angels has to fall down on their knees and worship me in order for me to gain admission into Heaven." 

Bobby laughed derisively. "Well, good luck with that. I guess you'll be here on Earth for a while, then. Well, at least until we get all the Tablets, anyway. Then you'll be locked up again." 

"As our friend Dean would say, 'not gonna happen'," Lucifer said, smiling. "One of you will capitulate. I can offer the moon and the stars, Bobby. Your Fondest Desire." 

"I heard about that from Cas and Gail. Apparently, your so-called 'deals' aren't all they're cracked up to be," Bobby said evenly. 

Now Lucifer began to get mad. "Well, they're too stupid to appreciate a good deal when they see one. Neither of them appreciated the true value of what I was offering them. Castiel could have had a version of Gail that was much better than that big-mouthed tramp he's got now. And he could have had her since the beginning of time! Yet he turned me down, because he said he wanted her as she is. As you would say, Bobby, he's an 'idjit'." 

Bobby smirked. For some reason, it heartened him to see how disturbed Lucifer was that Castiel hadn't taken his deal. The Devil may be the Master of Temptation, but what Lucifer had just said proved he didn't know Cas at all. Bobby could have told him that Cas wouldn't want one hair on Gail's head changed. He thought that the sun and the moon rose when she did, and if Lucifer had offered him an altered version of her, it was no wonder that Cas had refused the deal. It was Lucifer who was the idjit. 

The Devil's expression darkened. He didn't want to see Bobby smiling. Oh well, no matter. He'd be crying soon, begging to take his deal. Still: " "What are you smiling about?" he barked. 

"Just thinking," Bobby said coolly. "You're the stupid one. Cas loves her just the way she is, and so do I, and so does everybody. You just don't like her because she doesn't cower in fear when you talk to her, like a lot of people would. Like I did, once. But you're nothing but a blowhard. 'Fondest Desire', my ass. My Fondest Desire is for you to eat my shorts." 

"Really?" Lucifer replied. He was smiling again, but his guts were churning with anger now. Who the hell did this guy think he was? He wasn't God any more. Bobby was just an ordinary Angel now, and even when he had been God, he'd been Lucifer's bitch, in that cage. Lucifer had broken him once, and he could do so again, with just a snap of his fingers. But he needed Bobby to be of sound mind, at least for the time being. So he persisted. 

"Oh, but I can give anyone their Fondest Desire," Lucifer said. "But many people won't admit that their Desires are true once they're revealed. Take Castiel, for instance. Deep down, he'd like a sweet, submissive wife, but he's too whipped to admit it. He's an Alpha; all of us Alphas like to be in charge." 

"In charge is one thing; bullying is another. So is rape." Bobby bit out the words. He was referring to Lucifer's attack on Gail earlier. Thank God that Lucifer had underestimated Chuck; if Chuck hadn't stopped Lucifer when he had, Bobby didn't even want to think about what might have happened to her. 

Lucifer shrugged. "She would have liked it," he said blithely. "Girls like that always do. But she's stupid, too. I offered her a do-over for her whole life. She could have been anything, done anything she wanted. But she threw away that golden opportunity with both hands, just so she could be with her precious Castiel. What do you call that, Bobby?" 

"I believe they call that being in love," Bobby said quietly. Cas and Gail. They made everybody sick with their sugary-sweet romance, himself most definitely included. But he had to admit that their love and devotion to each other was the most genuine he had ever seen. They all teased the couple because that was the way that family was with each other, but there was more than a little envy underneath all that teasing. 

Lucifer laughed shortly, but he said nothing for a moment. Then he switched gears. "Why'd you quit being God, anyway?" 

Bobby frowned. "Because, none of your damn business, that's why," he replied. 

"Fine," Lucifer said magnanimously enough, considering that he was about one more smart remark away from blowing Bobby's head off with a snap of his fingers. Did Bobby really think that Lucifer was going to put up with his crap? Bobby Singer was nothing but a Southern-fried cracker who'd been too stupid to realize the heavy load that God had dropped on his doorstep until it was much too late. Castiel could be a thick-headed Neanderthal at times when his anger got the best of him, but even he had been smart enough not to take the job. And their Father had obviously not trusted Bobby implicitly, because He had withheld an awful lot of information, plus a few vital powers, when He had left. Too bad for Bobby. 

"How much would it be worth to you to see Sam and Dean safe and happy?" Lucifer asked Bobby now. "For them to live to a ripe old age? Maybe we could even get them married off and get them to give you a couple of surrogate grandchildren. How would you like that?" 

Bobby stared at him but said nothing. That would be very nice, indeed. But the Devil was a notorious liar. "I'll pass," Bobby told him calmly. 

"Why?" Lucifer asked him, curious. 

"Because you're lying, that's why," Bobby said bluntly. "Because you're trying to sell a fantasy. A hypothetical situation. Nobody's gonna go for that." 

That made Lucifer think. In a way, Bobby was right. None of the scenarios that he was showing to people were actually real. Maybe that was the problem. 

"Much as I hate to admit it, you could be right," Lucifer said, tilting his head at Bobby. "Maybe I do have a teensy-weensy little credibility problem. OK, let's talk reality, here. I do know about one situation you'd love to rectify. It was actually the driving force behind Heaven's new laws, as far as your part in them went. Unfortunately, when they were enacted, you weren't able to change what had already been." 

"What are you babbling about?" Bobby said uneasily. He hadn't liked that reference to Heaven's new laws. Crowley wasn't the only entity who knew far more than he should about things. "You're talking like..." 

"Like I know what I'm talking about?" Lucifer smiled. "That's because I do. You wanted reality, right? I know many things, Bobby, and you don't have any secrets from me. I can do something for you that God couldn't or wouldn't. I can give you your own do-over, Bobby. Your mother committed suicide, did she not? Don't you know where she is right now? Would you like to know what she is doing, and what's being done to her?" 

Bobby stared at him with wide eyes. "Why would I believe anything you say, on that subject or any other?" He was trying to put on a brave front, but his blood was ice-cold now. He didn't doubt for a minute that Lucifer knew exactly where Bobby's mother was now, and what kind of tortures she would be undergoing. Bobby's mother had committed suicide when he was a teenage boy, before Heaven's laws were changed under Bobby's direction. Therefore, she would be in Hell, and Hell was no day spa. She would be suffering, even though she didn't deserve to. Lucifer was right. Bobby's mother had been on his mind when he'd first set out to revise the ancient code. But he couldn't go back and change the past. No, he didn't want to know what she was doing, and he definitely did not want to know what was being done to her. But he had the feeling that the Devil wasn't going to give him any choice in the matter. 

Sure enough, Lucifer reached out and put his hand on Bobby's forehead. "Have your visit, and then we'll talk," he said, and then Bobby was gone. 

Dinner smelled fantastic. Bobby was sitting in the living room waiting for his mother to call for him to set the table. She always asked him to do that, and he was glad to help. She always worked so hard around the house. He would actually do more if she let him, but she'd wanted him to concentrate on his homework and have a social life, too. 

"You have to enjoy your youth," she'd told him, when he'd come home from school and it was just the two of them talking. Then she had sighed and smiled sadly. "It'll be over in the blink of an eye, Bobby. I want you to go places and do things. Get out of this little town of ours, and experience life." 

He'd promised her that he would, but Bobby knew that as long as his Dad was around, he wouldn't be going anywhere. There was no way he could ever leave his mother to deal with his father alone. Bobby had the very strong impression that if he ever left the house, the last barrier would be removed, and his father would end up killing his mother, intentionally or otherwise. 

Now he could hear the sounds of plates and silverware, and Bobby cocked his head, curious. It sounded like his Mom was setting the table herself. He got up and went into the dining room, and sure enough, she was there, setting the table. But there were only two place settings. Bobby felt a frisson of excitement. Was his father not going to be here for dinner? Was Lucifer showing him an alternate reality of what life could have been like without his drunken, abusive father? If so, bring it on. The Devil still wasn't going to get what he wanted, but Bobby could certainly enjoy the experience in the meantime. 

"I could have done that, Mom," he said to her. "Dinner smells great. Is it just the two of us tonight?" 

His mother walked around the dining room table towards the kitchen door, pushing it open. She had not looked at Bobby or acknowledged his presence in any way. Strange. If this was a fantasy, which it clearly was, what would be the point of it, if he and his mother didn't even interact? 

Then the rattle of keys at the front door, signaling that his father was home. Bobby's heart sank. Damn. Bobby's mother came rushing out of the kitchen to greet his Dad, with a beer in her hand. His father gave her a quick kiss and took a long haul on the beer as she helped him off with his coat. So far, standard operating procedure. 

Bobby stood still at the doorway, saying nothing, and his Dad passed right by him on his way to the dining room. So, that was it. Bobby was invisible to them, just here to observe. He moved into the dining room and watched as his mother served up dinner and his parents ate. There was a minimum of conversation during the meal, but Bobby noticed that his Mom kept looking up from her plate, darting glances at his father. Finally, his Dad dropped his fork on his plate with a clatter. "What?" he said angrily. 

"It's Bobby's birthday this weekend," his mother replied. 

"So?" his Dad said shortly. 

"I was hoping we could go to visit him," she continued. "It's been ages." 

"It hasn't been that long." Bobby's father threw his napkin down on the table and rose, going over to the bar. He grabbed a bottle of some sort of liquor and filled a glass with it, bringing it back to the table. He sat back down and gestured to her with the hand holding the glass. "Besides, I haven't received that apology yet. I told him, and I told you, too: until he speaks to me with respect, he's not welcome in this house. And, you know my license is suspended." He took a long drink from his glass. 

Bobby's blood boiled. Hypothetical or not, this was his father, all right. In this scenario he was being shown, Bobby had obviously moved away from home, but he still lived within driving distance. He and his father had had words, and Bobby had left. And his Dad had gotten another DUI. None of this surprised Bobby. But he still didn't see the point. 

"I could drive," his Mom said now. "In fact, if you don't want to go, I'll go see him myself." 

Bobby's father set the glass down and stared at her. "You'll do what?" 

She was shaking now, but she looked back at him defiantly. "He's my son, and I want to see him on his birthday." 

"Well, you're not going to," his father said, still eyeing her. 

"Yes, I am," she said, standing up from her chair. "You can't tell me what to do." 

"I'm your husband, and I'll tell you any damn thing I like," he said sharply. "It'll be hard to drive a car from a hospital bed." 

Bobby's mother froze in the act of clearing the dishes. She looked at his face, assessing his expression. How serious was he? How drunk was he? She couldn't really tell, so she said nothing, picking up the dishes and taking them into the kitchen. 

Bobby glared at his father. Even though he knew none of this was really happening, he was dying to kick the old man's ass right now. Did he think a wedding ring was a deed of ownership? Yes, he had obviously thought that very thing. Bobby didn't care if things had worked a bit differently when his parents had been young, no man should ever think he owned a woman. So the drunken ass had gotten his license suspended again, so what? Did that mean the whole world had to stand still? He wished he'd been a fly on the wall when this reality's Bobby had told his father off. That would almost be worth capitulating to Lucifer's demands, just to see. 

His mother came out of the kitchen with a tray that had two plates with pieces of pie on them. She'd also optimistically brought coffee, and two cups. She set it down on the table and was about to serve her husband his dessert when he rose from his chair and punched her in the face. 

Bobby rushed over to where his father was, ready to beat the living daylights out of him. But of course, he could do nothing. He wasn't actually there. 

His mother staggered back from the table, but she kept her feet. That was hardly the first time he had hit her like that, and she had been half-expecting it. But she was determined that it would be the last time. She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out the knife she'd put in there when she'd gone to get the dessert. 

"If you ever touch me again, you and I will be roommates in that hospital," she told her husband, wiping the blood from her lip with the hand that was holding the knife. 

His father smiled. "You would never hurt me," he told her. "Now, give me that thing before you hurt yourself." He reached out his hand. 

Bobby's mother laughed, without any humour at all. "Oh, no, we wouldn't want me to hurt myself. That's YOUR job." She lunged forward with her knife raised. She wasn't even sure what she'd intended to accomplish. Was she trying to warn him not to hit her again? Hoping to stick him with the knife, maybe, so he could feel the pain you felt when your own spouse attacked you? 

In any event, Bobby's father evaded her and twisted the knife out of her hand. "You're going to be very sorry you did that," he told her. He grabbed the knife and began to stab her, as Bobby looked on in horror. She made no move to run away, or to fight him, nor did she even cry out. He just kept stabbing and stabbing, and when Bobby couldn't stand it anymore, he closed his eyes, tight. But he could still hear the sounds. 

Finally, she slumped to the floor and his father stood over her, breathing heavily. Bobby opened his eyes again and watched as his father looked at the knife in his hand as if he'd never seen it before. He put it down on the table and strode over to the bar, grabbing one of the bottles by the neck and drinking directly from it. 

"Some men really suck, don't they, Bobby?" Lucifer said in his ear. 

Suddenly, they were back in the place where they'd been before Lucifer had sent Bobby into the vision. The Devil was looking at him, affecting a look of sympathy. Bobby's eyes stung with tears. It wasn't real, he told himself. It had never happened. But it still hurt like hell. 

"What was the damn point of that?" Bobby said angrily. "That never happened!" 

"Oh, but it did," Lucifer said airily. "It happens all the time, every day, over and over again. That's what Mommy and Daddy are doing in Hell, Bobby. Reliving that scene, over and over again. That's her punishment for having killed herself, and your father's punishment for being a wife-beating creep." 

The tears started to squeeze out of Bobby's eyes. He knew that Lucifer was telling him the truth. It was strange, really; as many problems as he'd had with Crowley, the King of Hell had never, ever mentioned Bobby's parents to him. Presumably, Crowley knew about this; Bobby couldn't imagine there was anything going on in his Kingdom that he didn't keep tabs on, when it came to Bobby and his group, especially. Yet, Crowley had never thrown it in Bobby's face, even though he could have, on many occasions. 

"But you could save your mother from that whole ordeal," Lucifer told him. "Castiel isn't the only one who can send people back in time, you know." Bobby looked at him suspiciously. "I can see you don't believe me. You can ask Crowley, when he gets here. I actually can't believe it's taking them this long." He was smiling now. "I thought Mark would cave long before this. Castiel's torture skills are legendary." 

Bobby was puzzled. "So you WANT them to come here?" he asked. 

Lucifer nodded. "Yes, of course I do. Well, I could do without seeing Castiel again so soon, but they're a package deal right now, unfortunately. I guess I shouldn't have brought Gail, after all. Crowley might not give a damn about you, and I know he couldn't care less about Chuck, but he's still sweet on Mrs. Castiel, I'm afraid. I should actually just wind Cas up and let him go," he continued cheerfully. "If I could figure out a way to get Gail and the King into a compromising position, it'd be: Bam! One less Alpha Demon to worry about." 

Bobby continued to stare at Lucifer. He had driven both Sam and Bobby insane, and possibly other beings over the eons, as well. Was the Devil himself insane? He was certainly acting like it. It was almost like he was bipolar, or something. He was mercurial, at the very least. And he also wasn't making any sense. Why would he be waiting for Cas and Crowley to show up? 

Lucifer could see Bobby's confusion. "I'll need Crowley to release your mother from Hell," he told the Angel. "Like it or not, he's still the boss down there." 

Now Bobby was really confused. "Are you saying that if I play ball with you, you'll get Crowley to release my mother from Hell?" 

Lucifer's smile widened. "Now you're getting it. That's exactly what I'm saying." 

"Assuming that I was gonna believe you, why would Crowley do that?" Bobby asked. "What would be in it for him? And how does time travel enter into it?" 

Lucifer shrugged. "That was just my Plan B," he replied, "in case Crowley won't cooperate. I'm sure Castiel's told you before that sending people back in time can be risky. So, Crowley's our Plan A. And I think he'll do it." 

"And all I have to do is get down on my knees in front of you," Bobby said skeptically. 

"Yep," Lucifer agreed happily. "But don't try anything while you're down there. I'm still hoping I can get our sweet little Gail to...well, you know. Maybe I'll wait till Castiel gets here; I'd love to see him pop a blood vessel." He smiled dreamily, envisioning Castiel's anger overcoming him so much that his head actually exploded. Now that, he would pay dearly to see. 

"I can see you still don't believe me," Lucifer said, "so while we're waiting, let me show you what will happen, and how wonderful it'll be. Your Fondest Desire, Bobby, made a reality. You'll see." His hand descended on Bobby's forehead again. 

Bobby and his mother were sitting on lawn chairs outside the bunker, enjoying the nice, sunny day. 

"I like your friends," she told him. "Both the human ones, and the Angel ones." She smiled and put her hand on his. "My son, the Angel. And I like the beard, too. I just wish you would swear a bit less. Maybe you can get Sam and Dean to put a swear jar in the kitchen. I think Dean could benefit from one of those, as well." 

Bobby looked at her, but her eyes were twinkling. She was obviously teasing. He just hadn't realized it, because he'd never seen her this way before. Happy. 

"And I love that darling little Gail and her husband Castiel," his mother continued. "You'll have to thank her again for the wonderful meal." She gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm really proud of you, Bobby. You grew up to be a fine, fine man. It's almost a shame that your father couldn't be here to see you this way. But I'm glad he's gone, Bobby. We don't need him." 

Bobby looked at her calmly, enjoying the feel of her hand in his. He couldn't remember the last time he had held his Mom's hand. Even when he'd been a little boy, it had seemed like his father was always between them, either physically or emotionally. Now he understood why Cas and Gail held hands so often. It was such a simple thing but holding the hand of someone you loved was one of the most special feelings in the world. 

"So you think I turned out all right, Mom?" he asked her. 

"I couldn't ask for better," she said. "But I am curious about one thing: Why did you quit being God?" 

She turned her head to look at him, and for an instant, he saw a glint in her eyes. The sun was setting in the sky now, so it could have been that, but he could swear he'd seen a hint of red in there, just for a moment. And that confirmed it for him. 

"I didn't know you read horror novels," Bobby said, removing his hand from hers. "I already told you, it's none of your damn business, Lucifer." 

His mother's face slowly dissolved into Lucifer's, and the Devil was grinning. Of course. "Oopsie," he said. "What gave me away?" 

"A few things," Bobby replied evasively. Why the hell should he tell this horse's ass anything? Bobby's mother would never have said that she was glad that his father was gone. She had loved the drunken bum so much that she'd killed herself rather than live a moment without him. That was just one of the mistakes that Lucifer had made. 

Lucifer frowned. "Fine." He took his hand off of Bobby's forehead, and they were back at the house again. "Just know that you could have your mother back, and she could be happy, Bobby. Think about that. You could release her from her torment, and she could be happy, for the first time since the day you were born. And all you have to do to make that happen is to take a knee for a few seconds. Don't you owe it to her to do that for her, Bobby?" 

Bobby hated Lucifer so much in that moment that he felt like every blood vessel in his body was going to explode simultaneously. Even Castiel would probably step back from Bobby if he were to see him now. But Lucifer seemed oblivious, or he just didn't care. He was damn lucky that Bobby wasn't God, or they'd be picking pieces of him out of the craters of the moon. 

"I'll think about it," Bobby said tersely. 

"What's there to think - " Lucifer started to say, but Bobby interrupted him. 

"We'll wait until Crowley gets here," Bobby said in a clipped tone. "Until then, shut up and leave me alone." 

Lucifer opened his mouth once more, then closed it. The hook was in; now they just had to wait for the King of Hell to make his appearance. 

Gail was tired of sitting there passively, waiting for something to happen. The longer she and Chuck sat there, the less she liked it. What was happening? What was Lucifer waiting for? 

Chuck had been trying to keep her spirits up, so he had talked about the reception he was sure Robbie had gotten back at the bunker, and how happy and grateful Frank and Jody would be. If Gail wanted any favours from her brother, she would be smart to hit him up as soon as they got back, Chuck had joked. 

But Gail had barely cracked a smile. She was very glad that Robbie was safe and sound, but she was also thinking about Barry. Knowing Cas as well as she did, she knew that Cas would have at least asked Crowley to revive Barry. But, had he done it? Why would he? Cas would have had to have promised Crowley a favour in return. She hoped the asking price hadn't been too high. But she'd felt responsible for Lucifer's having killed Barry, and she was sure that Cas did, too. It was because of the two of them that Barry was even mixed up in their lives now, exposed to that kind of danger. And, like Cas, Gail's heart had broken for Tommy. She understood what it was like to love someone as much as the two men clearly loved one another, and then have that person cruelly taken away from you. She prayed that Cas had been able to persuade Crowley to do it. 

Then Chuck told her about Desiree, and Gail smiled again. "So THAT's where you rushed off to from Sam and Dean's room!" she exclaimed. "I wondered about that." 

"Well, I wanted to make sure she didn't change her mind," he told her in a light tone. 

"So she spilled your glass of wine on you, and then she bought you another," Gail mused aloud. "I wonder if that qualifies as 'meet-cute'." 

Chuck laughed softly. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Gail. Suffice it to say that we had a very enjoyable time, and I hope to have another one, if she's still there when we get back to Paris. But that's probably gonna be it." Now that he had been away from Desiree for a while and the potion had worked its way through his system, Chuck was able to look at his experience in her hotel room with a clearer head. Had he really thought that he was going to have a relationship with the woman? She was probably just a tourist who'd been looking for an adventure in a different country, a Parisian affair. Maybe she was even married. The kind of woman you wanted to have a relationship with didn't generally dive right into bed with a stranger she'd just met. Cas and Gail had lived together for months and months before they'd had sex. So he highly doubted he'd have anything to do with Desiree after their mission in Paris was complete. That didn't mean he was above going back to the hotel to see if she was up for another session, though. That was, provided he and Gail got out of this basement alive. That issue was still very much in question. 

Gail had been just about to ask Chuck for more details about Desiree when Jason let himself in the door. He closed it behind him and walked over to where the two of them were sitting on the floor. Chuck had broken down some of the empty boxes for them to sit on, but the basement was cold and dank. No rats, thank God, Chuck had thought. But Gail had him walking around the room every now and then on what she called "spider patrol". Fortunately, he hadn't seen any so far. 

"Comfortable?" Jason asked them, smiling thinly. The Angels said nothing. Jason looked around the room, and then his gaze fell on the window. "What happened here?" he asked sharply. "Where's the boy?" 

Chuck shrugged. "I don't know, Jason. He flew here, didn't he? Maybe that's how he left." 

Jason pulled back his coat and showed Chuck the Angel blade he had there. "Careful, librarian. You do not want to get smart with me." 

"Well, I do," Gail piped up. "What's your Master waiting for? I'm getting a cold bum, just sitting here!" 

Chuck averted his head. He wished she wouldn't do that. Now he was smiling, but he didn't want Jason to think he was starting something. He still remembered how it had felt to have Jason's fangs in his neck, and he was not looking for a repeat. 

But Jason was focused on Gail right now. "Are you that eager to be violated, or worse? Have you finally grown tired of living with Castiel?" 

She sighed. "Why are you here, Jason?" 

"I'm hungry," he told her, "and I thought since you won't do anything for Lucifer, I thought the least you could do was to feed me." Now he grinned, showing her his teeth, and she shivered involuntarily. Crap. Maybe she should have just kept her big mouth shut. 

"Take a bite out of ME, then," Chuck said bravely. 

Jason looked at him. "I've already had yours. It tasted like musty old books, and shame." He looked down at Gail again. "I imagine yours is going to taste especially sweet. Too bad Lucifer wants you alive. But he doesn't care if I help myself, from time to time. He knows I need it." 

He bent down and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet. His other hand brushed the hair back from her neck. He was going to enjoy this. 

Then Jason felt a stinging pain in his side, and he looked at Chuck. "You're kidding, right?" Jason said. 

Chuck had reached into Jason's coat and taken his blade out, and he was stabbing him in the side with it. He knew all that would do would be to piss Jason off, but he'd had to distract him from Gail's neck somehow. If Jason were to bite Gail, Chuck would feel awful. Plus, he wouldn't have to worry about Lucifer killing him then, because Cas would. 

Chuck gave Jason a sheepish grin, and Jason let go of Gail and grabbed Chuck instead, flinging him across the room. Chuck hit the wall, hard, and he slid down to the floor. It had hurt a great deal, but Chuck was also starting to get a little pissed off, himself. First Lucifer, now Jason. Was that the only move that these guys had in their repertoire? He was going to have to ask Cas how to defend against being thrown against the wall, like so much fingerpaint. 

Jason bent to Gail again, but Chuck yelled, "Hey, Twilight! Why don't you face me like a man?" 

Jason frowned, but Gail grinned. That had been a good one. She would have to tell him that later, if she still had a throat. 

When Chuck had hit the wall, the Angel blade had clattered to the floor out of his hand. All three of them looked at it. Jason let go of Gail, and he and Chuck lunged for it at the same time. Unfortunately, Jason got to it first, and he brandished it now, grabbing Chuck by the front of his shirt. 

"Heaven will thank me," Jason snarled. "One less loser in their ranks." 

Chuck closed his eyes tight. Here it came. At least his last words had made her smile. He hoped that she would be able to get out of this somehow. Sorry, Cas, I did my best, he thought ruefully. 

Gail was panicking. She couldn't let Jason kill Chuck. But what could she do? She had no weapon, and Jason was much stronger than she was. 

In desperation, she flung her arms out, praying for the golden beams to come. And they did; a little weaker than before, but enough to knock Jason away from Chuck when she aimed them at his back. Then she did it again, and this time it was Jason who was flung against the wall. Chuck smiled. Finally, it was someone else on the receiving end. 

The vampire was shocked, and he was also very angry. How dare she? He got up immediately and rushed towards Gail. She flung out her arms, but nothing happened this time. Oh, crap. Before, he had just been hungry; now he was enraged, too. 

Jason grabbed her and slammed her body against the wall, knocking the wind out of her. This was bad. What was she going to do now? He had the blade in his hand, and it was pointed at her face. 

"I'm getting a case of deja vu," Jason said to her. "Haven't we been in this same position before?" 

He was right. Gail remembered back to the tribunal, when she and Cas had been just about to escape from the hearing room. Jason had prevented them from getting away, and he had threatened to cut her face with his blade. As angry as Jason must be at her and Cas for leaving him in Purgatory to be turned into a vampire, Gail thought, she realized she was just as angry at Jason for that incident in the hearing room. If she and Cas had been successful in their escape, Cas would never have been executed, and the whole Demon period would never have happened. 

"You deserved what happened to you," she said spitefully. "You're a horrible person, Jason. Or, whatever the hell you are these days." 

Jason's blade hand was shaking with rage. How he wished he could just slice her into ribbons. Or, better still, keep her prisoner and make her bleed, feeding on her as much as he wanted to until she was ultimately turned. Let her see what it felt like to be constantly hungry. 

"When Lucifer takes over, you and Castiel will be my pets," Jason snarled. 

"I wouldn't buy the leash just yet, if I were you," Cas said. 

Castiel and Crowley had appeared just outside the house a few minutes prior, a battered and bloody Mark between them. 

"They're in there," Mark said. He collapsed to the ground in pain. 

Cas looked down at him dispassionately. "You'd better be telling us the truth," he said. Then he looked at Crowley. "What do you think?" 

Crowley shrugged. "He likely is." He waved his hand, and Mark was suddenly bound in chains. "He doesn't look too frisky right now, but there's no sense taking any chances," the King said. "Those are special chains, designed to hold anyone, or anything." 

Before they entered the house, Cas opened his jacket and showed Mark the candlestick. "Don't make a sound, unless you want to feel this on you, again." 

Mark shook his head. He was in too much pain at the moment to say much of anything, and he definitely didn't want to feel that special kind of agony again. He followed Cas meekly into the house, with Crowley right behind, holding onto the chains. 

The men moved silently from room to room, Castiel peering cautiously around the corners. He saw Lucifer and Bobby in the living room, but neither of them saw him. Lucifer's back was to Cas, and he appeared to be just staring at Bobby, who was tied to a chair, but appeared otherwise unharmed. 

Cas pulled back, and he gestured for Crowley to keep going. Crowley made a gesture in return, pointing down, and Cas nodded. They'd seen a set of stairs leading to the basement; the others could very well be down there. So they had quietly descended the steps, pulling Mark along with them. 

Castiel pushed open the door to see Jason menacing Gail, and that was when he'd made his comment. He rushed forward and grabbed Jason with both hands, throwing him off of Gail and punching him in the face. Then Cas glanced at Gail. She appeared unharmed, too. Thank God. But Cas had no weapon that would kill a vampire. Or, did he? 

He took the candlestick out of his pocket and looked at Chuck. "Hold him," Cas said to his fellow Angel. "Let's see how he enjoys being touched with a sacred object." 

Chuck grabbed Jason's arms and held them behind his back, and Cas touched Jason's chest with the candlestick. There was a hissing sound, and Jason screamed in agony. Cas smiled. Thank you, Pope Francis. 

But Jason broke free of Chuck's grip and ran out of the room, and by the time Cas went after him, he had vanished. Cas cursed himself. He would have to speak with Sam and Dean about vampires; admittedly, he knew very little about them. He had not come here prepared to battle Jason. 

He rushed back into the room where Chuck and Gail had been held. "Are you all right?" he asked her, and she nodded. It had been such a relief to see him that for the moment, Gail was speechless. 

"I'm OK too, Cas," Chuck quipped, and Gail smiled as Cas hugged her to him. Cas gave Chuck a thin smile. 

"We have to get Bobby," Cas said to the other Angels. "He's upstairs, with Lucifer." He looked at Crowley, who shrugged and looked at Gail. "Your husband and I have talked, and we've decided to try the direct approach. Are you game, sweetheart?" 

"Let's go," she said with enthusiasm. Gail agreed; it was about time they faced off with Lucifer, once and for all. Paul was in Hell, Jason had flown the coop, and Mark was bleeding and chained up. There would never be a better time. 

They hurried up the stairs and followed Cas to the living room. Lucifer heard them coming this time, and he wheeled around as the group entered the room, led by Castiel. 

"Oh, there you are," Lucifer said. "It took you long enough. I guess my assistant has more intestinal fortitude than I gave him credit for. Or, he has a masochistic streak. I'm sure you gave it your all, Castiel. In fact, I can see the evidence on Mark. But what's that black mark on his forehead?" 

Mark stared at him. Was Lucifer saying what Mark thought he was saying? "So you left me behind as...bait?" he asked Lucifer, astonished. 

The Devil smiled. "Of course. I knew that Castiel would go to the mansion, looking for his little wife. I'm telling you, Bobby, if you ever want Castiel to be anywhere, just send Gail there, first. I've seen rabid terrorists that were less relentless." 

"So, this was supposed to be a trap?" Cas said scornfully. "Where's your backup, then?" 

"I don't need backup," Lucifer sneered. He flung out his arm and sent Castiel crashing into the wall. Cas had been halfway anticipating this move, but he was still surprised enough that he flipped the candlestick he'd been holding to Crowley, instead of one of the Angels. 

Crowley was just as surprised, and he nearly dropped it. It was very hot to the touch, and he had to juggle it from hand to hand. "Hot potato," he said, and flipped it to Chuck, who caught it neatly. Crowley checked his hands, but incredibly, there was no scar. 

The instant that Chuck caught the object, he'd felt a warmth emanate from it, and the power flowed up his arm. His eyes started to glow, and he thrust the candlestick towards Lucifer. "Begone, Satan!" he shouted, and a blinding white light filled the room. They all shielded their faces except for Bobby, whose hands were still tied. But the light was so bright that he had to screw his eyes shut, tight. 

And when the white light faded, both Lucifer and Mark were gone. 

Cas was using his blade to cut the ropes that bound Bobby to the chair. Chuck let out a shaky breath, looking at the candlestick he still held in his hand. "Wow," he said. "We've gotta get more of these." Then he looked curiously at Crowley. It had been so strange to see him and Cas showing up here together to rescue them. 

"Where's the boy?" Crowley asked Gail. 

Cas looked up from his task, smiling at her. "You sent him back to the bunker, didn't you?" 

She smiled back. "How did you know?" 

"I saw the open window in the basement, and I put two and two together," Cas replied. He stood back from the chair as the bindings fell to the floor and Bobby rose, rubbing his wrists and stretching his arms. 

"Thanks, Cas," he said. Bobby had never been so glad to see Cas in all his life, and he was happy to see Gail and Chuck in one piece, and to know that little Robbie was safe, as well. Hell, he was even happy to see Crowley. He may be the King of Hell, but he was a dream compared to Lucifer. 

"But, how did you do it?" Cas asked her. He put his blade back in his pocket and approached her. 

Gail glanced at Crowley, wondering if she should say. Then she shrugged. She supposed it didn't really matter; he had shown up with Cas, apparently to help. "You know that blue thingie you do?" she said pertly. "I tried that, and it worked!" She described blasting the bars out of the window, her and Chuck boosting Robbie up there, and giving the child the push to the bunker. 

Cas and Crowley were astonished. How had she been able to do that? Cas tried to pop out of the house now, and he was unable to do it. Then Chuck tried, and he couldn't, either. 

Cas sighed. That would have to be a mystery for another day, he supposed. He looked at Chuck. Cas had really wanted a confrontation with Lucifer. Prior to arriving here, he and Crowley had indeed agreed that they wanted to try to combine their powers with Gail's against Lucifer, just to see what would happen. They had been planning to play on Lucifer's ego to lure him outside the building for a showdown on equal footing. But Chuck had jumped the gun, banishing Lucifer and his unholy acolyte Mark before they'd had the chance to try. Cas supposed that he couldn't be too upset with Chuck, though. He had been very brave, and he had obviously helped to keep Gail safe and sound. And that was the most important thing, in Cas's book. 

Bobby was also grateful to Chuck. For a few minutes there, he'd been sorely tempted to take the deal. He was wrung out emotionally, and it hurt him immeasurably to think of his mother in eternal torment. But now, the decision had been taken out of Bobby's hands, and he was glad of that. 

The four Angels and the head Demon walked out of the house. 

"I just thought I should let you know that Crowley revived Barry," Cas told Gail as they all stood there, breathing in the fresh air. 

At what cost? she wondered. But, like the mystery of the sigils, that question would have to be addressed another time. Gail was tired now. 

"Thank you," she said, putting her hand on Crowley's arm. He patted her hand. "De nada," he said. 

He glanced at her hand, then at Castiel's face. His Brother's expression was neutral, though there might have been a time when just that innocent gesture would have been enough to send Castiel into a towering rage. Perhaps he was maturing now, or perhaps the fact that Gail had actually married him had served to assuage his insecurities. Only time would tell. 

"We'll talk again soon, I'm sure," Crowley said. Then he snapped his fingers, and he was gone. 

"We're going to go to the bunker to check on everyone, and then we'd better get back to Paris," Cas told Bobby. "Are you going to come?" 

"No, you go on without me," Bobby said absently. His complexion was pale, and he looked distracted. "Thanks, all of you." And then he vanished. 

Gail looked at the empty space where he'd been standing. She felt badly for Bobby. He'd had to spend all that time alone in a room with Lucifer, and the last time he'd come out of that kind of a situation, Bobby had been insane. God only knew what Lucifer had been saying to him. Maybe the Devil had shown Bobby some scenarios like he'd shown her and Cas. It was probably just as well that they were going back to Paris; Bobby probably needed to be alone with himself for a while. 

She took Cas's hand in one of hers and Chuck's with the other, and the three of them popped to the bunker.


	3. The Changeling

"I'm sorry, Cas, but we've made up our minds," Frank said. "Jody and I want to stay here with Robbie, at least until Christmas." 

"Unless you really need us," Jody added. "But it seems like you've got this one pretty well figured out, and you probably won't need the extra firepower on an undercover job. If you need us for anything, though, one of you can come and get us. OK?" 

Cas nodded. He understood. Truthfully, he didn't feel they would be needed in Paris. He'd spoken to Dean on the phone and received the report that the brothers had arranged an outing to the bar in Paris where members of Les Rebelles Blancs hung out. He'd already decided that he would accompany them, so there would be no need for anyone else. And Frank and Jody had had a terrible scare when Robbie had been kidnapped. It was understandable that they should want to make sure that they were with the boy now. Frank had stated that they were going to personally escort Robbie to school every day, and God help anyone who tried anything. He and Jody had weapons, and they had Bobby and Cas on Speed Dial. That would have to be enough. 

Gail was sitting with Barry on the couch. She was holding both of his hands in hers, and she said something that made him throw his head back and laugh. As soon as the Angels had gotten back to the bunker, there had been hugs all around, and as soon as Gail had seen Barry alive and well, she had burst into tears. 

Barry still had no idea what had happened to him, and nobody was talking about it. He assumed he'd just been knocked unconscious by Lucifer, and no one was rushing to tell him otherwise. So, he had been a little puzzled by Gail's reaction. But when he'd heard about her ordeal, Barry believed he understood why she was so emotional. So he'd taken her over to the couch and sat her down, comforting her. It did Cas's heart good to see that. Barry was a wonderful friend to them both, and Cas was so glad he was alive. 

Tommy and Chuck were playing Go Fish with Robbie, and both men were cheating like crazy so the boy would win every game. Robbie had been over the moon when the Angels had returned, and he'd hugged Gail so tightly when she'd first sat down that she'd had to ask Frank to pry him off of her. Robbie had been very aware of the gravity of the situation they'd been in, and he knew that if it hadn't been for his Aunt Gail, he might not even be alive to go to school tomorrow. 

Robbie was happy now. He looked at his Mom and Dad, and his other two Dads, and his Uncles Cas and Chuck, and Aunt Gail. And then all of a sudden, he knew things about them, things he had no earthly business knowing. He knew that his Mom had been thinking about having another kid, and so had his Dad, but neither one of them had talked to the other one about it. His Dad Tommy had an engagement ring for his Dad Barry, and he was going to give it to him at Christmas. in front of everybody, at Uncle Cas and Aunt Gail's house. His Uncle Cas and his Aunt Gail were going to have a huge Christmas at their place, with lots of presents. Robbie couldn't wait for that. And his Uncle Chuck was thinking about a red-haired woman, but he was thinking about himself and that lady with no clothes on in bed, and Robbie knew that kind of stuff was still too grown up for him, so he looked away. He also knew that Grandpa God hadn't come to visit because he was sad, and Robbie hoped he would cheer up soon. 

"Well, we'd better get back," Cas said, coming into the living room area. Gail and Chuck stood and said their goodbyes, and the trio winked back to Paris. 

"So what are all the up-and-coming white supremacists wearing these days, anyway?" Gail joked nervously. 

She and Cas had just come back to their room from a strategy session with Sam and Dean. Chuck had been there, too, and the three Angels had filled the Winchesters in on all the events that had happened back home. The brothers were thrilled that everything was all right now, but they expressed regret that they hadn't been there to help. Cas had thanked them, but he secretly thought it was just as well that they hadn't been. He'd had enough people to worry about, as it was. But he admitted to them that he could use a lesson or two on vampires, and they'd agreed to sit down with him and Gail once this mission was over and go over the various ways to kill or incapacitate one. Chuck had said that he might want to avail himself of this information too, and Dean had almost made a smart remark that Chuck should just check the Supernatural books he'd written. But then Dean looked at Gail, and he held his tongue. He knew it upset her when he took potshots at Chuck, and from everything he'd heard about today's experiences, it sounded like Chuck had really stepped up to the plate. So maybe it was time to finally let that go. 

After the five of them had finished their conversation, Sam and Dean wanted to go and get something to eat. "If we're going to have to hang out with a bunch of Nazis tonight, I want to have something in my stomach to throw up, later," Sam had quipped. 

Chuck wanted to go to Desiree's hotel, of course, to see if she was still there. He'd ended up telling Cas and Sam and Dean about her, but only in vague, general terms. The Winchesters had shrugged. Good for Chuck. But they also wondered exactly what he was doing here in the first place. They didn't really need him. Cas had insisted on coming along to the bar tonight, but Chuck wasn't going to. So, what was he even doing here? 

Then Cas answered their question when he looked at Chuck and said, "So you'll be back here to keep Gail company while we go to the bar as we discussed, right?" 

So that was it: Chuck was here to be Gail's protector when Cas was undercover. 

Babysitter was more like it, Gail thought, and she was not pleased. "Look, I can understand why I'm not coming to the bar with you guys, but I don't need to be babysat, either," she had berated Cas. 

"I don't see it that way," Cas said, shaking his head. "I need to make sure you're safe while I can't be here." 

"Am I or am I not a grown woman?" Gail had retorted, raising her voice. 

"A grown woman who was just rescued from Jason and Lucifer," Cas pointed out. 

Gail was seething. In a way, he was right, but: "You rescued Chuck and Bobby, too!" she yelled. "I'm supposed to be your equal partner! I guess I'm good enough to have sex with, but I'm not good enough to be trusted to handle things on my own!" 

Sam, Dean and Chuck had winced. That was harsh. 

"Come on, Gail," Dean had said soothingly. "Cas just wants to make sure you're OK." 

"I notice he doesn't assign babysitters to any of you," she fumed. 

"That's because we don't keep getting kidnapped by Lucifer," Dean shot back. 

Gail opened her mouth to sass him, but then she closed it with a snap. They'd been having pretty much this same argument right before she'd taken Frank and Jody back to the States, and she realized that he was pretty much just as right now as he'd been then. Cas hadn't wanted her at the bunker, she'd gone anyway, and she'd ended up in peril again. She needed to figure out how to better defend herself against their enemies, or else she should check her attitude. 

She'd looked at Cas then. He was frowning, looking back and forth between her and Dean. Cas couldn't decide which of them he thought was more wrong in this case. He didn't really like the way that Dean was talking to Gail. It wasn't Gail's fault that she had been taken by Lucifer, and he wasn't upset with her for having brought Frank and Jody to the bunker. He actually blamed himself for that; he could have taken them, if he'd just thought of it when he'd first left. But what he didn't like from Gail was her being angry with him when he was only trying to keep her safe. But he didn't want to argue with her about it in front of their friends. So he'd taken her hand and told the brothers he'd meet them back at Sam and Dean's room in a couple of hours. 

Then he and Gail were back in their room, and she'd made her innocent quip, not realizing that Cas was upset with her now. He looked at her, pursing his lips. She'd gone to the window to look outside, but when there was no reaction to her comment forthcoming from him, she turned back around. 

Cas was standing there, staring at her. "Do you really think I don't regard you as an equal partner?" he asked her coolly. 

Gail was uncomfortable now. His gaze was penetrating, and she could tell that he was very upset. "No, Cas, I didn't really mean that," she told him. "I was just angry. Not that you would know what that's like," she added teasingly. 

But he didn't smile, even though part of him wanted to. Cas had a point to make now. "I regard you as an equal partner in every way," he told her. "But I don't think you realize how vulnerable you are, and I also don't think you realize how it affects me every time you're in danger. Perhaps you should think about that." 

Now she felt awful. What was her problem, anyway? Gail knew very well how scared Cas got when she was being threatened. Why did she get so mad at him for worrying about her safety, anyway? She honestly didn't know. 

"I think you owe me an apology," he said stiffly, still staring at her. 

Wow. He WAS upset, Gail thought. She hadn't seen him like this in quite a while. She moved away from the window, approaching where he stood, but he held up his hand. "You can apologize to me from there," Cas told her. His tone was still cool. "I wouldn't want you to think I was looking to have sex." 

Gail's heart sank. The instant she'd said that, she had wanted to take it back. "I'm sorry, Cas," she said softly. "I should never have said that. I just hate the idea of having to be watched every minute, like I'm a child, or something. You know how independent I am." 

His expression softened a bit. "I know you are, Gail. But I need to know that you are safe when I can't be with you." 

"I know, and I'm being really stupid, aren't I?" she replied. "I'm really sorry, Cas. Please forgive me." 

He looked at her a moment longer, and then he opened his arms. "Come here, please," he said, and she rushed forward. He embraced her and said, "I don't need to forgive you, Gail. I just need to love you and take care of you. And your getting angry with me isn't going to prevent me from doing either." 

Gail looked up at him. "So, bottom line: I guess I'll have to teach Chuck how to play cards, if he doesn't already know. Is that what you're saying?" 

Now Cas did smile; he just couldn't help it. "Yes, that's what I'm saying," he told her. 

Gail nodded. She could live with that. Actually, she didn't know why she had gotten so mad at him in the first place. If she weren't an Angel, she'd swear that she was hormonal, sometimes. 

"OK, Cas. I love you," she said. 

"I love you too, and that's why I do the things I do. That's why I do everything that I do," Cas told her seriously, looking into her eyes. 

"I know," she said. Then she couldn't stand it any longer, so she smiled mischievously. "I believe we've just had a fight. Do you want to stay a little bit mad at me, so we can see how hot we are together?" 

Cas continued to look at her. He was puzzled now. No wonder Dean said that women were difficult to understand at times. But she was offering him the opportunity to end the argument now, and Dean had also advised Cas that the woman was the one who decided when the fight was over. Still, her earlier comment about having sex bothered him a bit. Surely, after all this time, she didn't think that was the most important thing to him, did she? 

He raised an eyebrow to her. "I wouldn't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you," he said primly. 

Gail stretched up and kissed him on the corner of his mouth. "Maybe I"M taking advantage of YOU," she said quietly. 

His hands tightened around her waist, but he still didn't react, so Gail kissed him on the lips. "Are you still angry with me?" she asked him. "Yes," he answered shortly. She kissed his mouth again. "Really?" she asked him. She kissed him once more, and this time she poked her tongue out and licked his lips. 

Cas couldn't take it anymore. "No," he told her. "I was just trying to pretend as if I were." He kissed her now, and his tongue pried her lips open. Then he broke the kiss. "For the record, I think we can be very hot without disagreeing," he told her. "I can show you, if you'd like." 

She smiled. "I would like that." 

Cas picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid on top of her and continued to kiss her with his tongue. He started to pull her clothes off with one hand, caressing her bare skin with the other. He was undressing her quickly, and his caresses became more firm. Then he undid his pants, and she could see that he was already excited. He took her hand and put it on himself. 

"Am I being too aggressive?" he asked her, kissing her neck. He was already starting to move against her hand, and now his hand was between her legs, and he was stroking her. She had opened her legs to him without even realizing it. He had her really excited now, too. He was being aggressive, and she was liking it. 

"No, just aggressive enough, I think," Gail said, and she made one of her little noises in response to what he was doing with his hand. 

"Good," Cas responded. He took off his pants quickly and slid into her, keeping his hand where it was, stroking her as he pushed in and out of her. 

"Does that feel all right?" he asked. 

"Oh, Cas, it's so good," she told him. 

He smiled, pushing a bit harder now. "Is it hot?" 

"Yes," she answered, answering his smile. "It always is." His fingers sped up, and so did his body, and she began to cry out. As soon as she did that, he withdrew from her and moved his body down, putting his mouth on her, and she shouted out his name. He kissed and licked her there as she writhed, telling him how much she loved him, how good he was, and how good he made her feel. Then, as she began to calm down, he opened her legs wider and re-entered her, pushing hard into her. She wrapped her legs around him and he moaned into her ear. Gail cried out again, and he could feel her spasms underneath him. Cas made a low sound, telling her how he loved her, and then he was still. 

They lay there panting for a moment, and Cas said, "I don't ever want to leave here." 

"Paris?" she quipped, and he raised his head to look at her. "No," he said earnestly, and she started to kiss his face gently. "You can leave, as long as you promise to always come back," she told him. 

"Now, where on earth would I ever go, without you?" he said lightly. 

She raised an eyebrow to him, but he laughed softly and rolled off of her, pulling her to him. His arms went around her and he kissed her gently on the forehead. "They may be repugnant, vile people, but they're humans, Gail," Cas assured her. "You have nothing to fear." Here he had been, concerned for her safety, and she had been worried about his. She was so sweet. 

Gail nodded. He was right, of course. Cas and Dean and Sam would be just fine. They could take care of themselves. Unlike her, it seemed. She sighed. Until she proved that she could defend herself a little better, Gail supposed she did deserve to have a babysitter. 

Cas heard her sigh, and now he was thinking about relenting on his position. She was obviously insulted that he felt she needed to be watched over every minute. But there was no reason to believe that anyone knew where they were, was there? Was he overreacting, perhaps? 

He had been about to tell her his thoughts when she kissed his chest and said, "I appreciate your caring about my safety, sweetie. Believe me, I do. In fact, when we have time, I'd like to do some more training, and become a better fighter. And I'd better find out more about vampires, and how to deal with them. Jason nearly made a snack out of me back there." She shivered for a moment. "Chuck really did bail me out, there. He claims he's a coward, but I don't agree." 

Cas's blood ran cold. She had just reminded him of why he'd been so nervous for her to be alone in the first place. All he would need was to get back from the bar and find Jason here, feeding on her. And it wouldn't matter how many sigils or pentagrams they painted around the room, nor would her blade help her in that situation. So he said nothing, just held her tighter. 

They talked some more, and they made love again, and then it was time for Cas to get dressed and leave. He showered quickly, and put on black pants, a black shirt, and a charcoal blazer. He transferred his blade into the inside pocket of his blazer and looked at Gail, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, watching him dress. 

He gave her a faint smile. "I thought, if I was going to be a bad guy, I might as well dress all in black," he told her. 

"Well, I just hope there aren't too many female white supremacists there, because you look amazing, as usual," Gail quipped. 

Cas looked at her warmly. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to keep his spirits up. Cas was not looking forward to the role he was going to have to play, nor to meeting the types of people that he and the Winchesters would have to ingratiate themselves to. 

He opened his arms. "Come here, please." 

She hopped off the bed and walked into his embrace. Then she sniffed. "You even smell good," Gail told him. "I never thought I would envy a bunch of Nazis." 

Cas kissed her. "I appreciate you using your humour," he said, giving her a squeeze. 

She shrugged, smiling. "Hey, you're lucky Frank isn't here anymore. I can only imagine what he'd be saying right about now." 

There was a knock on the door. "That must be Chuck," Cas said. He kissed her on the forehead and went to answer the door. 

But it was Sam and Dean. "Let's get this over with," Dean said, striding into their room. He had an edge to his voice. It was a shame, really; this would be his kind of night, if he didn't have to hang with a bunch of Nazis. 

"Chuck's not here yet," Cas told him. He looked at his watch. What was keeping him? 

"Go ahead, you guys. I'm sure he'll be here in a minute," Gail said. 

Cas looked at her uncertainly. "I'll call him on Angel Radio and tell him to get a move on," she said, kissing Cas on the cheek. "Go, go." She shooed them out the door. 

She sat back down on the bed after they left. The room was very quiet all of a sudden. She thought about putting the TV on, but the French was too fast for her to follow. She should have brought a book, or something. Now she wished that Chuck was here. Hopefully, he would show up soon, or she was going to have a really boring night ahead of her. 

Fifteen minutes passed, then twenty, and still no Chuck. Suddenly, the phone on the nightstand rang. He was calling to tell her that he was running late. She smiled. He must have gotten together with Desiree, and he was having a hard time tearing himself away from her. She could relate. In fact, maybe she'd tell him to take his time. She may be bored, but she was fine, and Chuck deserved a night like that. 

Gail picked up the receiver. "I know, Chuck," she said into it. "Take your time." 

But it was Cas, and he did not sound happy. "What do you mean?" he asked her. "Chuck isn't there yet?" 

Gail frowned. She hoped Cas wasn't going to be too angry at Chuck. She would just have to calm him down when he got back. "No, he's not," she told Cas, "but I'm fine. Just a little bored. How's it going there?" 

"Quiet, so far," he told her. "I just wanted to make sure that Chuck had arrived. I've called him on Angel Radio, but I'm not getting any response." 

"Maybe he's got it shut off. If he's with this woman, well...we know how that can get, sometimes," she said mildly. 

"Yes, but he promised me he would be there," Cas fumed. 

"What's the matter, Cas?" she asked him. "Why are you so worried?" 

His brow furrowed. He didn't know, exactly. He just had a bad feeling about her sitting there, all alone. Where the hell was Chuck, anyway? 

Chuck was tied up at the moment. Literally. Rowena had knotted a couple of enchanted scarves at his wrists and tied them to the bedposts. They weren't tied very tightly, but Chuck was hardly trying to escape. He was under the influence of her spell now, and she was on top of him, caressing his body. They'd already had sex twice, taking the edge off, and she had told him to take it easy now. She would let him know when they were going to go again. 

Chuck was intoxicated by the spell, but he was also excited by what she was saying to him, not to mention what she was doing to him. He'd had a secret wish for years to be dominated in bed, and Desiree was fulfilling that need nicely. But he had to cooperate, she'd told him. She wanted to know more about him now, and about his friends, and about what they were doing here in Paris. 

So he'd spilled his guts, dreamily telling her about the mission to get the Tablets. "They didn't really need me tonight," he told her, "so I came here to see you." But then, his forehead wrinkled. Wasn't there something else that he was supposed to be doing? His thoughts were hazy, and now she was touching him intimately again, making him even more confused. 

"You don't know where the Tablet is, then?" Rowena asked him softly. 

"No, that's what Sam, Dean and Cas are going to the bar to find out," Chuck said. Cas. It was something about Cas... 

Rowena frowned. Well, that wasn't very helpful. But she was still undecided about what she wanted to accomplish here. At least she had a compliant Angel at her disposal now. And Chuck was so easy. It hadn't taken much to get him talking; he had been so starved for physical affection that she hadn't had to try too hard with him. 

But he was feeling upset now. "I think I have to get back to the hotel," he told her. "There's something important I forgot to do." 

"Shhhh," she hushed him, putting her hand over his mouth. "You're not going anywhere, Chuck." 

Rowena lowered herself onto him and began to move, and by the time she untied his wrists so that he could grab her by her hips, Chuck had forgotten about everything except the way she was making him feel right now. 

"I don't like it," Cas said to Sam and Dean. He had hung up the phone from talking to Gail, and now he felt very uneasy. "Why isn't Chuck there? Why isn't he answering me?" 

Sam shrugged. "He found a willing woman, and it's been quite a while for him. Do the math, Cas." 

Cas was seething. "That doesn't mean he should shirk his duty." 

"Says the guy who turned off Angel Radio, and made Bobby call us on the phone," Dean said pointedly, taking a sip of his beer. 

Cas looked at him, expressionless. Perhaps Dean thought he was being funny, but Castiel was not amused. He was about to say so when the tour guide for the catacombs, Etienne, walked into the bar, accompanied by two other men. He spotted Sam and Dean at the bar, and made a beeline for them. 

"Hey," Dean said to him. "How's it going?" 

Etienne introduced the men he had come in with, and Dean introduced Cas. "These guys think like we do," Etienne said to his friends, indicating the brothers. 

"You're all Americans?" Gregoire asked them, sitting on the stool beside Cas. 

"Yes," Cas said. He pulled out his wallet and took out some money, putting it down on the bar. "The next round is on me. Sam and Dean told me we might find some like-minded men here." 

"What do you mean by 'like-minded'?" Kurt said, sitting on the other side of Etienne. 

"What do you think I mean?" Cas said coldly. 

"Cool it, Cas," Dean said, draining his bottle of beer. He looked at Kurt, smirking. "Sorry. He doesn't always play well with others." 

"Yeah, he nearly got us thrown out of our clubhouse, back home," Sam said, picking up the thread. "They think his ideas are too radical, and that's really saying something." 

"Radical? How so?" Etienne asked, with raised eyebrows. 

Cas frowned. "I don't think I should say. We just met." 

"I told you, he's OK," Dean said to Cas, nodding towards Etienne. 

Cas looked at the bartender. "Let's get a table," he said. The men got up from the bar and walked to a table. Cas raised a finger and motioned to the table, and the waitress came to serve them there. Once she'd delivered their drinks and moved away, Cas sat back in his chair, looking at Etienne and his friends. "Our club back home is big on talk, but they lack the courage and conviction to act on our beliefs. We've come here to Europe seeking a group that believes in action, over empty words," he told them. 

"The Third Reich wasn't built in a day, Cas," Sam said to him, taking a gulp of beer to wash away the bad taste in his mouth. 

"I know that, but at least they took action. They were on their way to achieving a goal, but they made some fatal errors," Cas said emphatically. 

Etienne and his friends were impressed. "I've often said the same thing," the tour guide said, lifting his glass to Cas in salutation. "That's what I said to our leader, anyway, and he happens to agree. But we need some more dedicated volunteers." 

"I'd like to meet this man," Cas said with a grim smile. 

"So would we," Dean said, and Sam nodded in agreement. 

Etienne and his friends looked at each other. So far, these guys seemed all right, but they couldn't rush to judgement. With what their group was planning, they couldn't be too careful. 

"Let's have another couple of drinks, and we'll talk about it," Etienne said to them. 

Cas was still thinking about Gail, though. And it didn't make him feel any better when he sent her a message on their frequency, asking if Chuck had shown up yet, and she messaged back that he had not. He stood abruptly from the table and walked to the mens' room. 

He had been just about to enter a stall and pop over to the hotel when Kurt entered the washroom. 

"What are you doing here?" Cas said sharply. 

"What do you think I'm doing here?" Kurt retorted. "Same as you. I'm here to take a leak." 

"Well then, do it, and leave," Cas said rudely. "I don't like anybody watching me." 

"What's your problem?" Kurt said, rolling his eyes. He walked over to the urinal, eyeing Cas, who stood his ground. He waited until Kurt finished. Then once Kurt left the washroom, giving Cas a strange look as he left, Cas went into a stall and winked himself to the hotel. 

"That friend of yours is weird." Kurt told Sam and Dean what had happened in the mens' room, and the brothers exchanged knowing glances. Cas had a bee in his bonnet about Gail being left alone, and they were pretty sure they knew why he wanted to be alone in the bathroom. 

"Yeah, he's a little crazy, but he's dedicated to the cause," Sam said, shrugging. "Hey, does anybody want to play pool?" 

Cas's sudden appearance startled Gail, but not as much as it probably should have. She'd finally given in and turned on the TV, more so for the company than anything else. 

She got off the bed and went to him. "Lucky my secret lover just left," she joked. "What's going on, Cas?" 

"I'm going to kick Chuck's ass, that's what's going on," Cas told her angrily. His jaw was set. 

"Look at you. Only one hour with Nazis, and you're already talking rough," she quipped. 

"I want you to come back to the bar with me," he told her. 

Gail tilted her head. "How do you think those guys are going to feel about my showing up there?" 

Cas was frowning. "I don't care. Your safety is more important," he said. "Just be prepared for what you might see and hear. And please be prepared for the way I'm going to have to act." 

"I remember Egypt, Cas," she said, nodding. 

"This will be worse," he told her grimly. Oh, goodie, she thought. She sighed and took his hand. 

Cas winked them to the alleyway beside the bar, and they walked around and went in the front door. He led Gail to the table where they had been sitting. Sam and Gregoire were playing pool, and Dean was talking to Etienne and Kurt. Dean spied Gail, and he rolled his eyes. What the hell was Cas thinking, bringing her here? 

"Who's this?" Etienne asked Cas, looking at Gail. 

"She's my wife," Cas replied. 

"Your wife?" Kurt echoed. "Well, what's she doing here?" 

"They're newlyweds," Dean said scornfully. "They go everywhere together." 

Kurt sneered. "Is that so? Well, maybe you'd be more comfortable at the tea room down the street," he said to Cas. He got up and walked over to the pool table, swearing under his breath. 

Cas sat down and pulled Gail onto his lap. "What's his problem?" he asked Etienne. 

Etienne was scrutinizing Gail's face. "We don't get too many women," he said. "They don't tend to be very...understanding, when it comes to our activities." 

"She understands what I want her to understand," Cas said arrogantly. "Isn't that right, sweetie?" He gave her a squeeze. 

Dean just barely restrained himself from wincing. Wow. Was Cas ever living dangerously now. If the Nazis didn't kill him, Gail surely would. 

Gail's stomach clenched, but she mentally gritted her teeth and said, "My husband's the boss. Whatever he says, goes." 

"Is that right?" Etienne said, eyebrows raised. "You don't hear that from too many women these days." 

"That's the way it's supposed to be," Gail remarked, with a small shrug. "We had vows of obedience and subservience in our wedding ceremony." 

Cas smiled, giving her another squeeze. "Is that so?" Etienne said again, sitting back in his chair and regarding the two. 

"Yes. She knows her place," Cas replied, hoping that Gail would forgive him later. If she didn't kill him first, that was. 

Etienne was impressed. He called over to Kurt and Gregoire, telling them to come back to the table. Then he asked Cas and Gail to repeat what they had just said to his friends. Sam drifted over as well, and when Cas told the white supremacists about Gail's supposed obedience and subservience, the Winchesters had to fight hard to keep straight faces. 

The other men heartily approved. "We could use more women like you in our own group, for several reasons," Etienne said to Gail. 

"Yeah, I'll bet it's a regular bratwurst-fest in there," Sam quipped, and Gail's lips twitched furiously. She didn't know if she was supposed to laugh now, or not. Was she supposed to ask Cas's permission, or something? How far were they taking this masquerade, anyway? 

But all of the men laughed, and Etienne said, "We need some more drinks here." 

Then Gail found out how far they were taking things. Cas had left his money on the table when he'd gone to get her, and he handed her a few bills now. "Fetch us some drinks, will you, Sarah?" he said to her. "Thanks, Baby." 

Dean started to plan Cas's funeral while Gail took the money from Cas's hand and got off his lap. She looked at the men with an unreadable expression on her face and asked, "What do all of you gentlemen want?" 

Once Gail had left to go to the bar, Gregoire asked Cas, "You just leave your money on the table?" 

Cas shrugged. "I trust everyone here." He gestured around the table, and then added, "Besides..." He opened up his blazer and showed them his blade. "People who try to mess with me only do so once." He smiled coldly. 

Gail brought the drinks back, two at a time. She served Cas and Etienne first, and as she leaned over Etienne's shoulder to put his glass down in front of him, she noticed him staring at her chest. Great. Both a Nazi, AND a pig. She glanced up at Cas, whose expression had gone very dark. He'd obviously noticed, too. But he said nothing, and Gail went back to the bar to get the other drinks. 

After everyone was served, Gail asked Cas, "Can I get something, too?" 

"Of course you can, honey," he said magnanimously. "You don't have to ask me that. Although I love it that you do," he added. "Don't get out of the habit." 

Gail turned back to the bar as the men smirked, and she clenched her hands into fists for a moment. Means to an end, she told herself. She knew that Cas was only playing his role, but he was playing it a little too well. 

She got the biggest, tallest glass they had, and asked the bartender for a double rye and ginger ale. If she had to sit there and listen to racist, misogynist nonsense all night, she might as well have a giant drink in front of her. 

She came back to the table, and Cas pulled her onto his lap again. At least that was one consolation. She got to sit here like this with him. He had one arm around her waist and he was using the other one to drink, and to gesture as the talk between the men turned to race, and politics. 

"Do you have as much of a problem with the 'bougnoule' in the States as we do here?" Etienne asked them. 

The Winchesters were blank, but Cas gave Gail's leg a squeeze. Normally, that was a feeling that she would have enjoyed, but in this case, that had been his way of reacting to the various racial epithets that their new "friends" had been using. She was going to have to tell him to switch legs soon, though, or put his hand somewhere else, or she was going to have a bruise tomorrow. 

That had been an especially offensive one, Cas thought, although they had all been bad. The more these men had to drink, the freer they spoke. The term that Etienne had used was a French word for non-white foreigners, particularly Arabs, and it was highly pejorative. It was very difficult for Cas to sit here and listen to the mens' racist rhetoric, and even more difficult for him to parrot the same kind of garbage back at them. 

But he had a role to play, so he said, "Yes. They come to our country, and they build their mosques, and they claim to be peace-loving. But none of them speak English, they're rude, and they commit terrorist acts against us." 

"Then the slant eyes come and take all of our jobs, and buy up all our industries," Dean added. "They undercut our prices, and so you can't even buy a decent American-made car any more. Then they have about ten kids each, and they overrun the country." 

"The exact same thing happens here," Gregoire complained. "But the French people are too passive. They just let them move in and take over. I'm French myself, but I don't think we should just put up with it. Damn Frogs; they give us all a bad name." 

"And don't even get me started about the Yids," Kurt added. "Hitler had the right idea about them. But our group has some plans - " He stopped suddenly when Etienne gave him a sharp look. 

"Let's not get into that right now," Etienne rebuked his friend. They were out in public, and they had just met these people. They talked a good game, but it was a little too soon to be letting them in on Operation White Power. 

Kurt shrugged, taking a swig of beer. He thought that their new friends were ideal recruits for the group, even the woman. But Etienne was the second-in-command, so he stood down. 

"Don't look now, but an ape just walked in," Gregoire said. "Boy, is he ever in the wrong place." 

Oh, God, Gail thought. She was still reeling from what Kurt had said about Hitler, and now a black man had walked into the bar. The only advantage she herself had was that as a mere woman, she was just expected to sit and listen to the men, occasionally nod her approval of what they were saying, and serve them drinks. It wasn't pleasant, but at least she didn't have to use any of those words herself. 

But now, the men they were sitting with were glaring at the man who had just entered the bar, and she could see that there was going to be trouble. 

"Burr-head walks into a bar," Etienne said, smirking. 

"That sounds like the beginning of a joke," Cas said lightly. But Gail could feel his thigh muscles tense underneath her. 

Cas was looking at their companions' faces, and he could also sense that there was going to be a problem. But how were they going to handle it? 

Henri could feel all of their eyes on him the second he entered the bar. He'd debated with himself whether he should come in here or not. He'd been following these men for a few months now, trying to gain intel on what he was sure was something big that they were planning. But he was doing it entirely on his own. The police thought he was a crackpot. Les Rebelles Blancs had been busted up for years, they'd told him. There may still be the occasional white supremacist here and there, they'd said, but there was no organized movement in Paris any more. Henri was an alarmist, and the police had other things to worry about. 

So they had dismissed him, but Henri just couldn't let it go. His grandfather had proudly served for the Canadian Army back in the Second World War, and he had told Henri some stories in the years before he'd died that had never left the boy's mind. What the Nazis had done back then, not to mention what they would have done had the Allied forces not stopped them, could never be allowed to happen again. Bigotry and racism were insidious, his grandfather had told him. The Nazis had primarily persecuted Jews, but they had been prejudiced against all minorities, and they wouldn't have hesitated to eliminate black people either, in their quest for the Master Race. 

"It's like that old saying, Henry," his Grandpa had said. "First they came after the Jews, and I said nothing, because I wasn't a Jew. But then they came after the Asians, and then the Catholics, and then, they came after me. Or something like that. You know what I mean." 

Yes, Henri had known. And by the time his Gramps had been on his deathbed and had thought that Henry might finally be old enough to know what had actually happened to his grandmother, Henri knew that his Grandpa was right. Groups like that could never be allowed to flourish. So Henri had finished school, he had worked a public service job for many years, and he had invested every spare penny he had in the meantime. He had invested very wisely, and he had been able to retire at a relatively young age. Then, he had more time to devote to his true calling: finding and stamping out racist groups and activities. Admittedly, he had not actually achieved anything of substance yet, but Henri persevered. Ever since he had seen a couple of items about Les Rebelles Blancs in the paper, Henri had been concentrating his investigative efforts on the suspected members that he had been able to track down. And he had been tailing these three for some time now. The fact that these particular men met regularly at this particular bar had been of interest to Henri for a while. So he'd decided to risk entering the bar, even though he knew the way that men of that ilk would feel about someone of his particular skin colour. 

Henri passed their table on his way to the bar, disturbed that they were sitting there with four other people. His ear to the ground had picked up rumours that their group were actively recruiting for some grand gesture they were hoping to make, and Henri believed that their numbers were already far greater than the police suspected. 

He ordered a beer at the bar and watched the occupants of the table in the mirror behind the bar as he waited for his drink. They were all still staring at him, though they remained seated for the moment. 

Henri had been surprised to see the woman. Though he was sure they must have a few females in their ranks, in his experience, they did not usually fraternize with the men in bars. Although now that he looked more closely at the couple, he could see that the man's arm was wrapped tightly around the girl's waist, and that she didn't seem to be speaking. So, it was one of those types of relationships. Perhaps he should get the woman away from those guys and ask her to join up with him, or at least, ask her for some information. She was obviously an oppressee, rather than an oppressor. 

But she was also on the wrong side, so she was fair game. Henri stayed at the bar, taking a sip of his beer. He could hear them talking just fine from here, and he wasn't an idiot. One black man against six male Nazis? He wouldn't like his chances. He would just continue to watch them in the mirror, thanks. 

Etienne, Kurt and Gregoire were angry. How dare this guy just walk into their bar and order a drink, like he had a right to be here? Like he thought he belonged? Yes, it wasn't a private bar per se, but everyone knew that it wasn't smart to come in here if you weren't white. 

"Damn coons," Kurt said loudly, making sure that their unwanted visitor could hear. "Somebody needs to call pest control." 

"Better still, just get a boat and ship them all back to Africa," Gregoire chimed in. 

Henri said nothing, continuing to sip his beer. So far, this was nothing he couldn't handle. He'd been hearing stuff like that all his life. 

Sam, Dean and Cas were all tense now, looking at each other without trying to be too obvious about it. That guy at the bar was nuts. Why didn't he just leave? If the Nazi guys attacked him, they would have no choice but to intervene, but then, what would that do to the cover they'd been so carefully cultivating? 

Gail couldn't stand the tension any more. She hopped off of Cas's lap. "I'm ready for another drink," she said pertly. "Anyone else?" 

"Only if HE doesn't touch it," Kurt said, sliding his beer glass across the table to her. 

"He won't, I promise," she said, and she turned her back on the men and walked over to the bar. 

"Please leave," Gail said quietly to the man as she was waiting for the drinks. 

"Why should I?" Henri said to her, although he knew very well. He was trying to figure out from her expression and her inflection whether she was speaking from hatred, or from concern for his safety. Just the fact that she'd said "Please" had intrigued him. 

"Really?" she said incredulously. Crap. That had been a little louder then she'd intended. 

"Is that jig giving you a hard time?" Etienne called out to her. He looked at Cas, as if expecting him to do something. Cas turned around to look at the bar, but it didn't appear as if the man was even looking at Gail, much less giving her a hard time. What exactly was Etienne expecting him to do here? 

Gail wondered the same thing. But if anyone were to be the one to confront this man, she would much rather it be Cas than one, or all, of the Nazis. There was only one way she could think of to force the issue, before Cas's tablemates forced it for them. 

"I'm really sorry about this," she said quietly to the man. Then she moved closer to him and splashed her drink on herself. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "Watch what you're doing!" 

Henri looked at her, puzzled. She had clearly done that on purpose, but she had also apologized to him. What was this girl playing at? 

Cas rose from his seat and rushed over to the bar. "What's going on here?" he said sharply. He looked at Gail. "What did he do?" 

"He spilled my drink all over me!" she told Cas. 

"No, I didn't," Henri protested. "She spilled it on herself." 

Cas believed him, but he also knew that Gail would have had a reason for doing what she did. "Oh, right," he said scornfully. "She spilled it on herself." Then, it dawned on him. Gail had wanted Cas to be the one to confront this man, rather than the white supremacists. The question was, what should he do now? The men would be expecting him to respond somehow, but what was the appropriate response in this situation? 

"Apologize to her," Cas growled. 

"I won't," Henri said calmly. "I didn't do anything wrong." 

Cas sighed inwardly. He was going to have to do a lot of penance for this. He punched the man in the face. 

Henri went down, and Cas bent down to grab him by the shirt front. "Please get out of here, now," he said quietly to the man. "I can't guarantee your safety." Cas picked Henri up off the floor and shoved him against the bar. "Apologize!" he shouted. 

Henri looked at Gail. "I'm very sorry, Miss," he said to her. 

Cas released Henri, and Henri decided he'd better do what the couple were advising. But now, he was wondering about them. True white supremacists wouldn't be apologizing and talking about his "safety". Which side were they really on? 

Henri walked out of the bar and walked around the corner, standing in the alleyway. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, touching his face where the man had punched him. Funny, he had gone down, but his face hardly hurt at all, not like it should have, with a punch like that. He leaned against the side of the building. He could wait for a while. 

Etienne and his friends were smiling now. When Cas returned to the table, Gregoire gave him a thumbs-up, and Etienne rose from his chair. He walked around the table and clapped Cas on the shoulder. "Way to go, Cas," he said. "Your next drink is on me. In fact, I'll even get it myself." 

He moved off to the bar as Kurt said, "It's too bad he didn't give you any more lip. I would have loved to see that knife come out." 

Cas looked at him coolly. "Don't be stupid," he said. "Do you think I want to go to jail? I don't commit my crimes in public." 

"Put it this way," Dean chimed in, "if there are any witnesses to what we do, they aren't witnesses for long." He took a big gulp of his beer to take the edge off his nerves. He'd been prepared for anything, but he was very glad the situation hadn't escalated. 

Sam's nerves had been on edge, too. He had to hand it to Gail. Being taller than everyone else at the table, he had been looking at the bar from a slightly different angle, and he had seen Gail essentially pour the drink all over herself. Sam had put two and two together pretty quick. Atta girl, he'd thought. 

"That's one hell of a husband you've got there," Etienne said to Gail. 

She was wiping herself with a handful of napkins, waiting for a fresh drink. "I think so, too," she said. 

"Let me help you," Etienne said. He grabbed some more napkins and moved closer to her. 

Gail looked up at him, raising an eyebrow to him. "I wouldn't, if I were you," she said. "Cas is a very jealous man." She flashed him a smile that she hoped looked genuine. "But thanks, anyway." 

Sam had seen that exchange, too. Lucky Cas's back was to the bar. After they gained access to the headquarters and got the Tablet, Sam would tell Cas, and then Cas could kill the guy. But, first things first. 

They drank and talked for a bit longer, and then Gail manufactured a yawn. "I'm sorry, fellas, but I'm going to have to call it a night," she told them. She got off Cas's lap. "Do you want me to call a cab?" she asked him. 

"No, I'll bring you home," he said. He downed his drink and stood. 

"Ahh, let her take a cab," Kurt said. "We're having a good time here." 

Cas shook his head. "I'm on my honeymoon, and I've looked at your ugly faces for long enough." He smiled to show them that he was joking, and he took Gail's hand. "Call over to the hotel tomorrow morning, if you want to get together, boys." Then he and Gail exited the bar. 

Sam and Dean exchanged glances as the other men laughed at Cas's remarks. Must be nice. They wished they could just walk out on these guys, too. But they supposed they'd better suck it up a bit longer. Maybe if these guys got a little bit drunker, they would extend an invitation to their clubhouse. 

"Who's up for a game?" Dean asked, nodding to the pool table. 

"I need a shower," Gail announced as soon as they walked into their room. She made a face. "For several reasons." 

"I'll go next," Cas told her. "I feel the same way." 

She grabbed her bag and took it with her into the washroom, and a short while later, she came out wearing a nightshirt. Then Gail sat on the bed while Cas moved towards the washroom. He glanced at her as he did so. She wasn't looking at him; she was waving her hands over her clothes, cleaning them. Cas sighed, and went to take his shower. 

When he came out, he was dressed only in his shorts. "Would you mind cleaning my clothes too, please?" he asked her. 

"Of course. That's what us women are for, right?" she said coolly, reaching her arm out for the bundle of clothes he held. 

Cas's heart sank into his stomach. He'd known that this was going to be bad. Just how bad, remained to be seen. "You know I don't think that way," he told her quietly. "I thought you understood that I was just playing a role." 

"I don't know if I do understand, Cas. I only understand what you want me to understand, right?" she retorted. 

Her hand was still extended towards him to receive the clothes, and he moved forward and took it in his, dropping his clothes on the floor. "Please forgive me, Gail," Cas said to her. "I was only talking like that because I thought that was what they wanted to hear." 

"I'm sure it was what they wanted to hear," she replied mildly. "They seemed to like you a lot." 

He frowned. "I don't like myself very much right now, though." He looked down beside her. "May I sit, please?" 

Gail moved over, waving to the edge of the bed beside her. Cas sat down and looked into her eyes, still holding her hand. "I didn't mean anything I said to those men," Cas said in a serious tone. 

"OK, Cas," she said. "Here, give me your clothes and I'll clean them. I want that Nazi stink out of this room." She let go of his hands and he bent down to give her the bundle of clothing. She did her thing, then took both sets of clothes, hers and his, and put them away. She had decided to unpack their bags while he was in the shower, as it appeared that they would have to be here longer than they'd hoped. 

Cas was watching her quietly. He knew by now that when she said "OK" like that, things were frequently not okay. He waited until she was done, and then he said, "Please come here, Gail. I think we need to talk some more." 

Gail sighed. She guessed he was right about that. She was doing that passive-aggressive thing again, and it wasn't healthy, nor was it productive. She needed to be honest with him about her feelings. 

She came back to the bed and sat down next to him. "What can I do to make it up to you?" Cas asked her. "What can I say?" 

Gail shook her head. "Nothing, sweetie. I know you're just pretending. It's just really hard to have to act like the 'little woman'. Do you know what I mean by that?" she asked him. 

Cas was puzzled. "But, you are much smaller than any of us," he said. 

She laughed and touched his face. "Thanks, I needed that," she told him. "Now, THAT'S who you really are." 

He smiled and re-took her hand, kissing the palm tenderly. "This is the only way I ever want to be with you," he told her. "Even if it means leaving you alone. I will not subject you to those men again." He frowned. "I wish I could avoid them, as well." 

"I can imagine," she said to him. "Yes, it's tough for me to act like a mindless little thing without a backbone, but it must be even tougher for you to act like a racist ass. Sam and Dean, too. I guess we kind of bailed on them, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I hope that man that you hit is OK." 

Cas winced. "I hated having to do that. But I didn't see an alternative. I didn't want those men to get involved. You were very clever to do what you did." 

She took his hand and looked at it. "I didn't want them to get involved, either," she told him. "That's why I did it. They would have done a lot worse than just punch him. Does it hurt a lot?" 

He grimaced. "You get used to it, unfortunately. I actually pulled it, at the last minute. I didn't want to hurt that poor man. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose." 

"Well, those jerks certainly like you now," Gail said, making a face again. 

"I don't care about that," he said firmly. "I only care that YOU like me. If you still do." 

She smiled. "Yes, I do. And I love you, too." 

Now he smiled. "I love you," he told her. He brought her hand up to his lips and turned it over, gently kissing each knuckle. The gesture was sweet, sexy, and incredibly intimate, all at the same time. 

Gail sighed happily. "Do the other hand, and then give me a kiss," she said to him, then she added teasingly, "If it's my place to say that, of course." 

Cas continued to smile. He took her other hand and did as she had requested, then he pulled her gently into his arms. "Your place is here, or anywhere else you say it should be," he said. Then he kissed her on the mouth, wrapping his arms around her. "But I hope that you'll decide it's always here." 

She broke the kiss and looked at him mischievously. "I'd kind of like it to be underneath you, right now," she said, lifting an eyebrow to him. 

He was confused for a split second, and then he understood. She was telling him she had forgiven him. "That can be arranged," Cas said, and he kissed her again, using his tongue this time. He pulled her nightshirt off over her head and caressed her body. 

"I love you more than anyone, or anything," Cas told her. "Please remember that, no matter what I might have to say when I'm playing a role. But when I'm with you, I only want to speak of my love and devotion to you, with my mouth, and my tongue." 

He was killing her now. "Oh, now you're just doing that on purpose, aren't you?" she asked him softly. 

Cas smiled again. "Well, maybe just a little." He was kissing her neck now, and lightly touching her breasts. "Is it all right if I use my tongue for that purpose now?" he asked her. 

"If you don't, I'll have to get a divorce," she joked. 

He kissed her on the mouth, and she gave him her tongue. He scooped her up and laid her back on the pillows, and then he moved down her body and made love to her with his tongue. She touched the back of his head as he licked her gently, and then she cried out his name as he pulled her closer to his mouth. She held his head there, telling him how good it was, and how much she loved him. Cas smiled. These were the kinds of words he wanted them to exchange. 

When she was still, he moved on top of her and slid into her, telling her how much he loved her. Then he pushed forward, faster and faster, as she caressed his body. He lowered himself to kiss her on the lips, and then he felt the warm rush of loving her, when she gave him her tongue in return. 

Cas and Gail continued to kiss for a while afterwards. "That's about the best use of your mouth and tongue I've seen in a while," she teased him softly. 

"I was hoping you would say that," he said, smiling. Then he kissed her again. 

"You know, the only good part tonight was that I got to sit on your lap all night," Gail told him. She kissed him again. 

"We definitely agree on that," he remarked. 

He was about to kiss her again when his cell phone rang. He glanced up at the nightstand. 

Gail sighed. "You'd better get it. Remember what happened the last time." 

Cas nodded. He rolled off of her and reached for the phone. 

It was Dean. "You suck," he told Cas. "You and your wife. Both of you." 

Cas smiled. "Hello, Dean. I would tell you I regret leaving you and Sam there, but I shouldn't lie." 

Gail smirked as Dean said, "Ha ha. Very funny. Thanks for sticking us with those guys. We had to sit there and listen to their racist b.s. for two more rounds, and the only reason we're out of there now is because we told them we had jet lag." 

Cas had the phone on speaker now, and he had put it on the bed so Gail could hear, too. 

"Sorry, Dean, I just wanted to get out of there and take a shower," Gail said into the phone now. 

"I know what you two wanted to get out of there and do," Dean grumbled, "so don't give me that." 

"Hey, if you want a honeymoon, get married," she said, shrugging. 

"Why are you calling, Dean?" Cas asked him. "Simply to complain?" 

Dean sighed. "No. Those guys want to take us to a shooting range tomorrow." 

Cas perked up. "Did they disclose the location of their headquarters?" 

"No, I think they want to date us for a bit longer before they completely trust us," Sam piped up. Dean had put his phone on speaker, as well. 

Cas sighed. "All right. Did they say a time?" 

"We're supposed to call them after breakfast," Dean told him. "You guys should meet us in the restaurant about 8." 

"I'll be there, but Gail won't be," Cas told the Winchesters. "I don't want her subjected to them anymore." 

"You may want to rethink that position," Sam said. "Those guys really liked Gail. Etienne specifically said he wanted her to come." 

Cas's jaw clenched. "I'll bet he did," he said. "Regardless, she doesn't want to go, nor do I want her there." 

"He told us he wants her to go to their headquarters to help the other women prepare for their Hallowe'en party," Dean said. "If she says yes, then we'll have an in." 

Gail rolled her eyes. It figured. But she could hardly refuse. They needed to get into that place to get the Tablet. 

"OK, guys, I'll come," she told them. "But I don't know if they want to put a gun in my hand; I may just slip and make one of them a woman, too." 

"That's the spirit, Gail," Sam said. She could hear the grin in his voice. 

The couple said their goodbyes to the brothers, and Cas hung up the phone and put it back on the nightstand. He looked at Gail. 

"I'm sorry," he said to her. 

"Why? It's not your fault," she said in response. Then she put her hand on his thigh and gave it a soft squeeze. "But I appreciate your saying that. Now get back in here, please. I'm getting chilly." 

Cas got back under the covers and pulled her to him. "I can't believe it's nearly Hallowe'en already," Gail said, kissing him on the cheek. 

"I know," he replied thoughtfully. "But even though we're forced to deal with men like that right now, searching for a Tablet that will help defeat the Devil, the fall is my favourite season." He kissed her on the forehead. "It's the season that I met you." 

She smiled. That was true. "And look at the circumstances we met under. Same stuff, different year. It's always something with us, isn't it? Oy vey." Then she giggled. "Oops, I'd better not say THAT tomorrow." 

Cas gave her a peculiar look, and she shrugged. "Hey, Frank would've thought that was hilarious. Remind me to call him and tell him that joke. That is, if I don't go to jail tomorrow for shooting the man parts off of a Nazi." 

Cas's lips twitched. "We would never let that happen. Well, you going to jail, anyway," he told her. "Besides, Interpol would probably give you a medal for doing that." Then his expression turned serious. "If I don't just kill them all myself, that is. I've seen the way Etienne has been looking at you." 

She gave him a half-shrug. "When he tried to approach me at the bar, I told him that you were a very jealous man, and that he had better not." 

Cas frowned, and his body tensed. "What do you mean, he tried to approach you?" he asked her. 

Crap. She thought he'd seen; otherwise, she wouldn't have mentioned it. There had been no harm done, and they had enough to worry about right now. So she told him about the incident, stressing that it had been very innocuous. But she had the feeling that she would have to keep an eye on Etienne. If he came on to her when he was sober, she would have to set him straight, and fast. 

Cas didn't like it. Perhaps he and Gail should not have adopted the roles that they had tonight. He didn't want those white supremacist men to be looking at Gail like an object, someone who existed simply to look cute and to serve men. He would have to be very vigilant now. He held her tighter, caressing her gently. 

"Tablet or no Tablet, if he attempts anything, I will deal with him," Cas told her. 

Gail smiled. "Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you're defending my honour?" 

Cas pretended to consider. "Possibly, but I'll never tire of hearing it, anyway," he said. He looked at her face. "Please remember how you feel about me right now, when we have to assume our roles again tomorrow." 

"I'll try, but it's going to be difficult when I have to leave at least half of my brain cells back here at the hotel," she said. Then she started to kiss his chest. "Care to remind me how you and I really feel about each other?" 

"Yes, I would," he said, smiling. "I can give you as many reminders as you need." He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of what she was doing. Then he pulled her body on top of his, so that she could kiss him on the mouth. 

She could feel that he was excited, so she sat up and guided him into her. His hands went to her hips, and he caressed her there for a moment. Then his hands tightened on her and he began to move her up and down, pushing up to meet her each time. 

"I love you," Cas said. His breath was becoming ragged, but he wanted to tell her that, before he lost his words altogether. "You feel so wonderful." 

Gail smiled. "Yes, I do," she told him. She knew that wasn't quite what he meant, but she did feel wonderful, and she wanted him to know it. 

"Do you?" Cas breathed. He removed one of his hands from her hip and began to stroke her with his fingers, still moving her up and down with the other hand. "And how about now?" 

She began to whimper, and he smiled. That was the reaction he'd been hoping to get from her. He wanted her to feel as wonderful as he was feeling right now. 

"Cas!" she cried out, and he groaned loudly at the same time. He could feel her reacting to what he was doing, and her reaction excited him so much that he couldn't hold back any longer. 

She lay on top of him and he pulled the covers over them, wrapping his arms around her. 

"I think I'll just stay here like this all night," Gail sighed contentedly. 

"That would be fine with me," Cas said softly. 

She smiled. "You're lucky I don't sleep. You'd never get me off you, then." 

"I'm trying to see a downside to that," he replied, and she laughed. But then, eventually, she kissed him softly on the lips and said, "OK, let me up. I'll get you the remote." 

"Are you sure?" Cas asked her, opening his arms so that she could move. 

"Yes, I'm sure," Gail said, sitting up and leaning over to get it. "We can't make love all the time." 

"I can," Castiel replied seriously. He sat up, too. 

She smiled at him, handing him the remote. "I actually believe you could," she said. "And, believe me, that's good to know. But let's take a break anyway, just for a short while." 

He studied her face. "Are you still angry with me?" he asked her warily. 

"No, I'm not, sweetie. I just feel like watching some TV," she responded. Then, when he continued to look at her, Gail added, "Have you ever known me to keep my anger with you a secret?" She raised an eyebrow to him, waggling it comically. 

Cas laughed. "You are the greatest blessing I have ever received," he told her. He touched her cheek gently with his, nuzzling her. Then he kissed her softly on the lips. "Every night when we lay together, I thank our Father for bringing you to me, and then I thank you, for deciding to stay." 

Gail smiled warmly at him. What a sweet thing for him to say. "I love you, Cas. I do the same thing," she said. Then, because she was who she was, she added, "Just don't forget how thankful you are, when you and the Nazis are ordering me around." 

Cas looked distressed. "Please don't joke about that, Gail. I feel badly enough about it as it is. I regret affecting that persona, especially now that we have to bring you with us. Please believe me." 

"I do believe you, Cas," she replied. "Oh well, I'm a big girl. I'll just have to suck it up. There is one thing I was wondering about, though. You called me 'Sarah' when we were with those men. Why? You know that was the name that Lucifer gave me." 

Cas looked thoughtful. "I don't know. really. For some reason, I didn't want them to use your true name. The same mouths that speak those words of hate shouldn't be speaking your name." 

Gail smiled. That was sweet, too. "But, why Sarah? Since that was the name that Lucifer had given me, I thought that you were going for some symbolism there." 

Cas was startled by that. He didn't know why he had called her Sarah; that was simply the first name that had come to mind. But she was right; that was the name that Lucifer had given her when he had tried to take her away from Castiel, and from her friends. And that had also been her name in the vision that Lucifer had given Castiel about what his life would have been like if he had met her at the time of Creation. Had Cas ever shared that particular story with her? He didn't think he had, so he did so now, and now Gail was the one who looked thoughtful. Then she smiled. 

"Well, even though I would have loved being with you for that long, I'm glad I'm not Sarah," Gail said. "She seems very kind, and very understanding, but she also seems like a real pushover." 

"She was sensitive to the feelings of others," Cas said diplomatically. "But, as you can plainly see, I'm not interested in being with a version of you that's different from who you really are." 

Wow. He was being sweeter than sugar now, Gail thought. He must feel really bad about how he'd behaved at the bar. And he was likely just putting some in the bank for the way he would have to treat her tomorrow, too. But Gail had no doubt that he really meant what he was saying. It kind of amused her that he'd felt compelled to defend even a fictional version of her, though. 

"But, you could have a point," Cas continued. "The name of Sarah denotes a passive person, a follower, who avoids confrontations." 

"Well, we all know that's certainly not me," Gail quipped. "You, more than anyone. Hmm. Now I wonder what 'Gail' means. I guess I'd better not ask Frank or Dean that question, though. I'm sure I wouldn't like the answer." She smiled. 

"'Gail' denotes someone who's lively, with grace, beauty, and intelligence," Cas answered quickly. "She never gives up, and she will always voice her opinion. It is advised that you must listen to her, because she is not just important in your life, she is a necessity." His lips were twitching now. 

She tilted her head. "Angels aren't supposed to lie, are they? You're totally making that up!" she accused him, but she was still smiling. 

"Only that last part, and it was only an embellishment," Cas told her. "What I said initially is absolutely true." 

"How do you know?" she asked him, intrigued. "Where did that definition come from?" 

"I Googled it," he told her. 

"You did? When?" 

"The day after I met you," he confessed. 

Gail shook her head slowly. "You're unbelievable," she told him. 

"No," he replied, "just in love. That's all I am." 

She launched herself into his arms and he dropped the remote on the floor, wrapping his arms around her. "I didn't want to watch TV, anyway," Cas remarked, and he kissed her. She opened her mouth for him immediately, and their tongues met. 

When Gail got out of bed in the morning to take her shower, she saw the remote on the floor and she picked it up, smiling. She looked back at Cas, who was sitting up in bed, looking at her with love in his eyes. 

"TV is overrated, anyway," Gail said as she placed the remote on the nightstand. Then she padded off to the shower as Cas smiled widely.


	4. Black Like Me

Chuck could have just popped back to his hotel, but he was enjoying the walk back. The weather was cool and foggy, and the morning mist felt refreshing on his face. 

What an amazing night he'd had with Desiree. If he'd been deprived before, he certainly wasn't now. They had been at it all night, in every conceivable position. She was insatiable, it seemed, and he had been, too. She'd brought a great variety of objects into play, and Chuck had enjoyed nearly everything she had done to him a great deal. The times that he had cried out in equal parts pleasure and pain had produced a look of satisfaction on her face that no physical act of his had. In fact, he didn't really know if he had ever satisfied her in that way. But she didn't seem to care all that much. She had let him invade her body, and then she had inflicted marks on his until he'd shouted out in gratitude. A bit of a strange relationship to be sure, but Chuck was already fantasizing about getting together with her again tonight. 

But as the morning air began to clear his head, Chuck started to feel apprehensive about facing his friends. He now remembered that he'd sort of promised Cas that he would stay with Gail last night while the guys went to the bar where the white supremacists allegedly hung out. But Gail was a grown woman, and what was more, she was an Original Angel, with extra powers, a blade, and fighting experience. Chuck thought that Cas was being a bit of a Mother Hen about the whole thing, and he knew that Gail thought the same thing. He was sure she'd been fine on her own. And that was assuming the Nazis had even been at the bar in the first place. It hadn't been much of a lead, in Chuck's opinion. But maybe that was because he was trying to rationalize his absence last night, and because he was a little bit insulted that they had left him out of their little clique. As per usual. Was Chuck not a man, and was he not white, too? He was sorry, but if it came down to a choice between the night he'd just had and babysitting Saint Castiel's wife, as much as he loved Gail, he knew which one he would choose, every time. It wasn't as if he would have been able to have a dream night like that with Gail, or anything. But, wait: What the hell was that, now? He didn't mean it like that, right? Right? 

The closer he got to their hotel, though, the more Chuck started to feel guilty about his behaviour the night before. He should at least have called Gail and told her he wouldn't be coming. He hoped he hadn't worried her too much. 

He sent a message to Gail via Angel Radio now, apologizing for not having shown up the night before. She told him it was OK, but that Cas wanted to talk to him. So when Chuck arrived at their hotel, he went up to Cas and Gail's room. 

"Where were you last night?" Cas barked at Chuck when Gail let him in the room. 

Chuck's stomach clenched; partly from guilt, but also partly because he didn't appreciate being talked to that way. "I know, I should have called you, Gail," he said, deliberately addressing her, instead of Cas, "but Desiree and I just got carried away. You know what that's like, right?" He smiled ingratiatingly. 

But Cas was having none of it. "You promised me that you would be here with Gail, to make sure she was safe," he said, still frowning. 

"She seems just fine to me," Chuck said, with a touch of sarcasm. 

"That's because I ended up taking her with me," Cas shot back. 

"OK, you guys are going to have to stop talking about me as if I weren't here," Gail said irritably. She always hated it when people did that, and it was always the men who did it. She turned to Chuck. "I do understand, but maybe next time you could take a few seconds to pick up a phone, OK?" Then she turned to Cas. "And, you need to calm down. If Chuck's not going to be part of the mission, what's he supposed to do with himself? Now that we've established that I don't need a full-time babysitter because I'll be too busy toiling away in the kitchen for a bunch of Nazis, why shouldn't Chuck have a relationship? If Bobby doesn't need him for anything, and you guys aren't going to need him right now, then why not?" 

Cas was unsure, now. He still felt angry with Chuck, but he supposed that Gail did have a point. Cas wasn't anybody's boss, and Chuck was a grown man. He sighed heavily. "OK, Chuck. Just do me a favour and clear it with Bobby, first. I don't want him to be angry with any of us." 

"Yeah, sure, Cas," Chuck said, relieved. He hugged Gail, giving her a brief squeeze. He was very grateful to her for standing up to Cas on his behalf. He would have to remember just to appeal to Gail any time in the future if he wanted to defuse Cas. 

Chuck asked the couple what had happened the night before, and they filled him in on most of the events at the bar. 

Cas sighed again. "We're supposed to be seeing those men again today, and hopefully this time we'll find out where their headquarters is. I'll give you or Bobby a call if we need anything, but I'm hoping we can just take care of it ourselves, and quickly. It's very difficult to have to spend time with people like that." 

Chuck nodded. He could bet that it was. He may have been a less-than-stellar human when he'd been alive, but Chuck had never been able to understand why some people thought they were better than others just because of the colour of their skin. That kind of thinking made no sense whatsoever to Chuck. It was like saying that he was better than the guy next to him just because he wore a beard. Complete idiocy. 

So they said their goodbyes, and then Chuck went to his own room to take a shower. He had fully intended to give Bobby a call once he got out, telling him that Cas didn't really need him on the mission, so he'd likely return to Heaven right away. But as he was soaping up, he got to thinking about Desiree again. Who knew when Chuck would have the opportunity to be with a willing female again? He was an eternal being now, so unless he got himself killed on one of these missions, it could theoretically be an eternity until that happened. Not everyone was lucky enough to be Cas, and Gail was most definitely off the market. So maybe he could give himself one more day of pleasure before he had to turn into a monk again. 

Chuck picked up the phone and called Desiree. 

The Angels were sitting in the hotel's dining room, waiting for Sam and Dean to finish eating breakfast. 

Dean yawned. "I think I'd better have another cup of coffee before we call Etienne," he said. 

Gail folded her arms and glared at him. "Now you're just rubbing it in," she grumbled. 

Dean shrugged. "Payback's a bitch," he said, then he gave her a brief grin. 

"Hey, from what you're telling me, you guys are going to be enjoying a Hallowe'en bash, while I get to row in the galley with the other slaves," she retorted. 

His expression turned serious. "I guess you're right. Sorry about that, Gail." 

But now she shrugged. "It is what it is, as the saying goes. It's not like I haven't done that kind of stuff before. Cooking, cleaning, whatever. I'd just like to do it because I WANT to do it, not because I'm EXPECTED to do it, because that's a woman's 'place', There's a big difference." 

The men were silent. They actually did understand what she was saying, it was just that they'd never really thought about that kind of thing from the woman's point of view before. That would make a person mad, they supposed. They were all capable of doing everything that she and the other women would be doing, but simply because they happened to be men, they could just relax, and be waited on. How fair was that? 

"You're right," Cas said to her. He squeezed her hand briefly. "They seem to be just as prejudiced against women as they are against people of other races." 

Gail gave another half-shrug. "Welcome to my world," she told him. "Every woman's been through it, sometime in her lifetime. It's kind of like Paul said that time: Woman can truly be the N-word of the world, sometimes." 

Cas remembered Paul having said that, and he gave her a grim smile. It was a good thing that Paul wasn't around to see them interacting with the men they were going to see shortly. Even though Paul was a Demon who was currently in Hell, he was the son of an Archangel, Raphael, and their family had been born of black skin. He had accused Castiel of being racially bigoted, and Crowley, too. Paul had seemed to be a little gentler in his attitude towards Gail, perhaps because he recognized that she had suffered prejudice also, because of her gender. The accusation that Paul had levelled against him had made Castiel angry at the time, though he had not dwelt on it. But he was thinking about it now. Castiel was a being almost as old as time itself. Was it possible that he could be carrying some sort of prejudice, even on a sub-conscious level, towards beings of other ethnicities? Castiel's human families had always been white, in every incarnation that he'd had, and so was his current vessel. As far as he was aware, the first inhabitants of the Earth had all been Caucasian. Then, presumably, his Father had become bored with all of the sameness and had introduced people of other colours and races, much as He would have created a box of assorted chocolates. Castiel had never thought about it that way before, and the analogy made him smile. 

But his smile faded when Sam said, "Uh-oh. Look out, Cas. That guy you punched in the bar last night is coming this way, and he does NOT look happy." 

Crap, Dean thought. He slid his chair back, getting ready to rise in case Cas needed backup. But Cas rose from his seat, holding up his hand to his friend. Then he turned around to face the man. 

"I'm very sorry I hit you last night," Cas said to him immediately. "Believe it or not, I did it for your protection. I hope you can forgive me." 

Henri stood still, scrutinizing Cas's face. He seemed sincere, both in the tone of his voice, and because of the fact that he had actually apologized right away. But Henri's eyes narrowed. "If that's true, then what were you doing sitting with those guys?" 

Cas sighed. "It's a long story." He went to reach for his wallet. "Can I at least buy you some breakfast, to try to make up in part for my reprehensible behaviour?" 

Henri stiffened. "I can afford to buy my own breakfast." 

Now Cas was really flustered. "I didn't mean - I'm sorry," he stammered. 

"He wasn't trying to insult you," Dean said to Henri, a little sharply. He understood where the man was coming from as far as his pride went, but Dean felt for Cas now. "He's just trying to apologize. Cut him a break, will ya?" 

Henri let out a breath. "OK. Fair enough." He looked at all four of them. "I have a confession to make. I actually followed the two of you here last night." He nodded towards Cas and Gail. Cas took a half-step to stand in front of Gail out of reflex, and Henri's expression softened. He raised his hands slowly, in supplication. "I'm not here to cause any trouble," he told the group. "I just came here to talk to you all, if you'll be willing to talk to me." 

"Yes, of course we'll talk to you," Cas said quickly. He grabbed a chair from the vacant table beside them and placed it beside his own. "Please, have a seat." 

Henri looked at Cas, bemused. This man's white guilt was sure working overtime, he thought. But he'd had time to think about last night's incident, and Henri had decided that the guy and his woman had indeed done him a big favour. Even though his face was still sore, he could certainly be in a lot worse condition today, and he would have been, if those jackbooted Nazi wanna-bes had had their way. He'd been stupid to walk into that place by himself like that. But now, he was glad that he had. It seemed that God had answered his prayers after all this time and had sent him some help, at last. 

Henri sat down, continuing to scrutinize the four of them. Cas re-took his seat and picked up Gail's hand automatically. That gesture also warmed Henri towards Cas. His parents had been very affectionate with each other, and his father had been fiercely protective of his mother, much as this man appeared to be. And there was certainly an excellent reason for that, given Henri's family history; perhaps this couple had their own story. In any case, Henri liked to see that, and more importantly, he could respect a man who acted like that. 

He extended his hand to Cas for a handshake. "If you'll shake with me, I'll forgive you," he said to Cas. 

Cas looked at him, open-mouthed. He had struck this man in the face for no reason that would be apparent to him, and he was offering to shake hands? "Thank you," he said, taking Henri's hand with his free one. "Thank you very much." 

Was this guy for real? Henri thought, amused. They shook, and then Cas said, "I'm sorry, where are my manners?" He introduced Sam and Dean to Henri, and then he gave Gail's hand a brief squeeze and let go of her. "And this is my wife, Gail." Then he smiled. It occurred to him that he hadn't had much occasion to introduce her as such, at least not to decent people, anyway. He really liked saying it. 

Gail reached across to extend the hand he had just released to Henri to shake his hand. "I owe you an apology, too," she said to him. "I'm really sorry I had to start that whole thing. But it was the only thing I could think of to get Cas to come over, instead of those guys. But I know, that's no excuse." 

"That's what I would have said too, last night," Henri told her, prompting a sharp glance from Cas. "But then I thought about it some more, and I realized that you both did me a strange kind of favour. I never should have gone in there. But now, I'm pretty sure that there was a reason God led me in there." 

The quartet exchanged glances, smiling. "What?" Henri asked them. "What'd I say?" 

"Nothing," Sam replied, still smiling. "But, if you don't mind telling us, why DID you go in there?" 

Henri considered his answer for a moment. The server came over to the table in the meantime, and replenished Sam and Dean's coffees. Henri asked for one, as well. Cas pushed his empty cup over in front of Henri. "Here. Use mine," he said. 

Henri had a couple of sips of coffee, and then he decided: he was going to trust these people. He was tired of trying to go it alone. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "I've been following those men for a while, trying to pick up intel on their organization," he told them. 

"Are you a cop?" Dean asked him. 

"No," Henri replied, "but I bring them all the information I come across." Then he frowned. "But unfortunately, that isn't good enough. I know they're planning something, something big. But I can't get the police to believe me, and I haven't been able to come up with anything definitive. Funny, for some reason, those guys won't let me into their club. I guess they're jealous of my deep tan." 

They all stared at him, and then Gail and Sam laughed. "Not bad," Sam said. 

Henri grinned. "Thanks, Sam. Not everybody gets my sense of humour." 

"Don't worry, I have a brother like that," Gail said, smiling at him. 

"Do you mean a brother, or a 'brutha'?" Henri asked. Cas looked puzzled, but Gail laughed again. "Sorry," their new acquaintance said. "Just trying to put a bit of light on a very dark subject. I'm hoping I can trust you all not to give me up to those people. And, actually, I was hoping that you would be willing to help me." 

"Don't worry, we're not gonna give you up," Dean said. "We think they're just as disgusting as you do." 

"Who are you people?" Henri asked them. "Are you investigating them, too?" 

"Hey! Who are you calling 'you people'?" Gail quipped. Henri looked at her for a moment, and then he threw his head back and laughed. "I suppose I deserved that," he told her, once his laughter had subsided. "Good one, Mrs. -? What?" he asked her. 

She glanced at Cas. "We don't have a last name. Just like Madonna. Or Prince," she said, her lips twitching. 

As Henri looked at them curiously, Cas said, "We're working undercover, as well. We have a specific mission, which we can't divulge. But if we find anything out with regard to criminal activities, we'll be glad to pass it along to you, and to the Surete, to investigate. But once we get what we came for, we'll be leaving the country." 

Henri frowned, but then he nodded. "All right, fair enough. I suppose that's all I can ask." 

"We're supposed to be meeting with them right now," Cas told him. "Dean's going to call Etienne, who seems to be the Alpha of their group. I presume they will come here and take us to where they want to go. We're hoping to gain access to their headquarters, but they haven't yet disclosed to us where it is." 

Henri nodded. "I can see why they'd want to be secretive about that. If they're planning the kinds of things I think they're planning, they wouldn't want anybody they can't trust there." 

"Why? What do you think they're planning?" Dean asked him warily. 

"Terrorism," Henri said bluntly. "Bombings. Murders. They're going to make it their life's work to eliminate as many of my people, and any other people of colour, as possible." 

They were all silent for a minute. Gail was about to ask him how he knew that, but then she remembered the way those men had been talking the night before, and she realized that what Henri was saying didn't surprise her, not one bit. 

"OK, give us your number," Dean said to Henri. "We'll call you with any information we get, and if we have to meet, we'll meet in our room. You'd better not be seen with us in public any more. Considering the kind of people we're supposed to be, it's probably not a good idea for us to be seen together." 

Henri smiled grimly. "Sorry, Dean. You're right." He grabbed a napkin and scribbled down his number, giving it to Dean. Then he wrote it again, giving the second copy to Cas. "Just in case," he said, and Cas nodded, pocketing the number. 

Henri rose from his chair. "Merci, and good luck," he said to the group. Before leaving, he leaned down to Gail. "Don't let the white man get you down, little lady," he said to her. They laughed together, and then he left the restaurant. 

The four of them looked at each other. "That was kind of bizarre," Sam said. "That guy's mysterious, isn't he? I wonder why he's really doing this?" 

"He probably thinks we're mysterious, too," Gail said. "We were just as evasive with him as he was with us. More so, even." 

"Well, he's not an Angel, or we would have sensed it," Cas said quietly. "Maybe he's simply an altruistic human." 

Dean sighed. "OK, let's just get this done." He took his cell phone out of his pocket and called Etienne. 

Chuck was back in Desiree's room already, watching her eat breakfast. He had called her and told her he could only spend one more day with her, and then he would have to leave. It was just as well, anyway. Rowena was just about sated now, and she was growing tired of Chuck. All he ever did was whine about how Cas and the Winchesters didn't respect him, and they wouldn't let him sit at the grownups' table. He was growing apart from Kevin and Ethan now too, he'd said. Maybe it was because the other two Musketeers were younger than he was, but Chuck didn't feel as connected to them as he once had. During the tribunal, they'd all been working for a very specific, common goal and afterwards, they'd all been on the board together, helping to draft Heaven's new laws. But now, things were all messed up. Heaven's priority was obviously dealing with Lucifer, but there didn't seem to be any organization or unity in what they were doing. Some of them were here, others were in Heaven, and still others were back at the bunker now. And poor Linda was in the Netherworld. Bobby was no longer God, and he wasn't leading their group anymore; that was, if he ever had been. Their de facto leader was Cas, but he was doing his usual renegade thing with Gail and the Winchesters, not leading anybody. 

Rowena sat back in her chair, blotting her mouth with her napkin. She'd decided that she would spend the day with Chuck, and maybe the night as well, and then if he didn't leave as he'd said he was going to, she would have to kick him to the curb. She didn't see what more she could possibly get from him, anyway. There were millions of men that she could have sex with, and Chuck was only averagely talented and ordinarily endowed. Nothing special. And as far as information went, Chuck didn't really seem to be all that much in the loop. Rowena had come to the conclusion that she was wasting her time and her considerable talents on Chuck. 

But for now, she thought that she would indulge with him one last time. So she rose and took Chuck's hand, leading him over to the bed. 

Now that she'd decided that she didn't need to worm anything further out of him, Rowena didn't use any special potions this time. But he'd requested that she tie him up with the scarves again, and the spell remained on them. So afterwards, when they were taking a break, Chuck was telling her that he would never forget their time here together. "Do you want me to call you the next time I'm on Earth?" he asked her. 

Rowena smiled. "I travel a lot," she replied evasively. "But if it's meant to be, we'll find each other." 

Well, that was just about the most diplomatic way that Chuck had ever been dumped, anyway. Usually, they just told him to drop dead, and slapped his face on their way out the door. But, he hadn't honestly thought that this could be a real relationship, had he? 

Chuck sighed. He was well under the influence of the truth spell now. "That's OK," he told her. "We've had a lot of fun. I guess I was only using you to try to forget about Gail." 

Rowena perked up. What was this, now? 

"To forget about Gail?" she repeated. "Do you mean Cas's wife?" 

"Yeah," Chuck replied. Desiree may not want to be his girlfriend, but he was happy that she at least paid attention when he talked. "I've had a crush on her for a while now. But there's no way. She loves Cas too much, and he'd probably kill me if he ever found out how I really feel about her. Or he would never let me talk to her, or even see her, again. And I definitely don't want that guy mad at me. He's even scarier than Crowley when he's mad. I think he might even be scarier than Lucifer." 

Rowena smiled. She'd seen Castiel angry before, and she could only imagine how a coward like Chuck would react to that. And this was some very interesting information. She was still trying to work out how she could use it, but for the time being, it was entertaining, at the very least. Now, if Rowena ever wanted to get rid of Chuck, she would know how to go about it. 

But there was one more surprise in store for Rowena, and it was a big one. "I'm sure your Bobby could rein Cas in if he had to, though," she said to Chuck, just making conversation until they were ready to go again. 

"Maybe when he was God, he would have been able to, but not anymore," Chuck said casually. "Cas could wipe the floor with Bobby, now that Bobby is just an ordinary Angel again." 

Rowena was thunderstruck. What?! Bobby wasn't God anymore? Since when? "When did that happen?" she asked him sharply. 

"What? Bobby not being God?" Chuck replied, a little surprised by her tone. 

"Yes, you idiot!" She pinched him, hard enough to draw blood. "When?!" 

"Ow!" Chuck exclaimed. Desiree had hurt him in bed before, often at his urging, but that had been unexpected. "I don't know! For a while!" he told her. 

Rowena lay back against the pillows. Her Bobby was no longer God. "Who IS God, then?" she asked Chuck, stunned. 

"No one, at the moment," Chuck answered. "I guess after we take care of Lucifer, we're going to have to have an election, or something. But don't say anything, cause nobody's supposed to know." 

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, dearie," Rowena said softly. Her mind was racing furiously now. Could she possibly get Bobby back in her life? Should she even try? Would he have anything to do with her now? 

Chuck was still prattling on. "I'll bet you Cas ends up being the next God. And why not? He's got everything else. Unless Gail doesn't want him to do it, for some reason. But, why wouldn't she? She could be the Queen of Heaven. And you know he's not going to do anything there without her stamp of approval. But, between you and me, I think she'd make the better God. She's sweet, compassionate, and understanding. If Cas is God, we'll probably end up having another Holy War, or something." 

Rowena was still listening, but she was only half-listening now. She had no interest in Heaven's politics, or even in who would end up holding the Office. If Bobby was no longer God, she might be able to get him back. But, and not for the first time, she was also starting to wonder if Gail might not be a witch, herself. How did the girl manage to get all of these men pining after her? She was married now, but apparently, that still didn't stop the men from wanting her. Rowena didn't know which she wanted to do more: ask Gail what her secret was or kill her. Perhaps she'd do the first one, and then the other. It would be only fair, after all, seeing as Gail had killed her, first. 

Chuck was ready to go again. He reached for Rowena, and she let him take her. But she pictured Bobby's face the whole time. 

"You're a natural," Etienne complimented Dean. 

'Yeah, he's always been a better shot than me," Sam remarked. 

"You're not so bad, Sam," Kurt said. "It's just that you're so tall that you have to adjust your sightline to compensate, and by the time you've done that, you can't keep up with everyone else." 

They'd been holding a contest to see which of them could hit the most tin cans in a single minute. They'd all had a turn, and then, when they were close to running out of cans, it was down to Cas, Dean, and Etienne. Then Cas was knocked out of the competition, and Dean and Etienne smiled at each other. 

"One more round, for the championship," Etienne said to Dean. 

"OK by me," Dean replied. "What's the prize?" 

"Winner's choice," Etienne said. He glanced at Gail for a moment, but luckily, Cas missed it, because he and Gail were looking at each other. 

Yeah, right, Dean thought. Good luck with that, buddy. If Etienne ever tried anything with Gail, it would be his last act on earth, because Cas would kill him, and then he'd be Crowley's problem. And if for any reason Cas wasn't available to do the job, either Sam or Dean would gladly step in. There was no way that Nazi slimeball was ever going to lay a finger on her. 

"We've run out of cans," Gregoire told Etienne. 

"That's OK," Etienne replied cheerfully. "Bring out the real targets. They're always more motivating, anyway. Best out of five." 

Real targets? Dean's blood ran cold. He was relieved a moment later when Kurt and Gregoire came out of the barn carrying cardboard cutouts under their arms. Phew. Considering what these guys were, it could have been a lot worse. 

But it was bad enough. Their targets were cardboard cutouts of black people, Asians, Arabs, and other visible minorities. There was one spectacularly nauseating one of a Korean lady holding a baby. Dean thought of Linda and Kevin. Wow. Now he kind of hoped that these guys were planning something, because they were going down. 

For now, though, the masquerade had to continue. "I think I'll use my own weapon for this," Dean said, and he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out one of his favourite guns. 

"Nice," Kurt said. "But how did you get that through airport security?" 

Crap. They had taken Angel Airlines here, of course. There was no way he would ever have been able to get this gun on an actual airplane. Dean thought fast. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," he said, grinning. "Come on, Lucille," he said to the gun. "We've got some dirty immigrants to kill." 

"'Lucille'?" Gregoire said, as Sam smirked. 

"Don't mind him, he likes to name his weapons," Sam said. "What a loser." 

"Oh, yeah?" Dean retorted. He faced the targets and squeezed off five shots, taking the heads clean off of four of them. He had only missed the target that pictured the Korean woman; accidentally, or on purpose, he wasn't quite sure. He looked at the gun in his hand. "Don't listen to Sam, Lucille. He's just jealous." 

The men all laughed, and Sam smiled. Even Gail smiled. Dean, she thought. He was truly one of a kind. It was really too bad that they were in such vile company; otherwise, this would have been a little bit fun. Up until the time they'd brought those incredibly offensive cardboard cutouts out of the barn, Gail had almost been enjoying herself. She'd hardly ever had the chance to try to shoot a gun, and she had been applying herself to the challenge of trying out a different kind of weapon. But it had definitely been a challenge. Her eyesight was not that sharp, the gun that Etienne had given her was big in her hand, and the kickback was affecting her arm. How she'd longed to make a remark about overcompensation when he'd handed her the huge weapon, but she'd bitten the insides of her cheeks to make sure it didn't come spilling out. That wasn't who she was allowed to be when she was with these guys. But she hoped she wouldn't have to bite back too many more quips, or her head would probably explode. 

Etienne took his turn, with four more targets laid out, plus the one of the Korean woman that remained untouched. He hit all five, and he'd squeezed out an extra shot, hitting the Asian baby in the head. 

"That's what I would call nipping it in the bud," he said to the group. "Get it?" 

Gregoire and Kurt laughed in true sycophant fashion, and the others forced smiles through their nausea. Cas's smile was more genuine, but only because he was thinking of Linda having complained that Luke had mistaken her for a Japanese woman. But then, his smile disappeared. He'd only smiled because he loved Linda as a Sister. She had been taken from them cruelly by Lucifer, and Lucifer would pay. That was what they were doing here, after all. 

The men brought out more targets of the same type. Gail stared. Where were they getting these things? Bigots 'R' Us? She bit the insides of her cheeks again. Ow! She was going to have to stop doing that. 

Etienne saw the look of pain on her face, and he misunderstood it. He walked over to her. "That's OK, honey, you'll get it," he said condescendingly. "You haven't got the years of experience that we've all got. Maybe you need to practice with a little lady gun, first. Not everybody can handle a piece as big as mine," he added, grinning. 

Gail restrained herself from rolling her eyes at the crude double entendre. "It's OK, Etienne, I'll just sit this one out," she told him. 

"Nonsense," he said. "Here, I'll help you." He stood behind her and leaned close, lifting her arm. "You have to take your time, and squeeze it gently," he said into her ear. 

Gail felt nauseous. What was she supposed to do, here? He wasn't overtly coming on to her, but he was standing way too close, and she could feel his breath tickling her ear. Gross. 

"Squeeze it, gently," Etienne repeated, and Kurt piped up, "That's not what Cas said to her last night." The men all laughed. 

All except for Cas, who strode over to Etienne. He put the gun he'd been holding to Etienne's temple. The Angel blade Cas had drawn was in his other hand, and he had it pointed between Etienne's legs. "Your choice," he growled. "Or, maybe we'll just do both." 

"Hey, I'm just having a little fun here, brother," Etienne protested. 

"You're not my brother," Castiel said in his quiet voice. "Now, back off of her. Do it!" 

Etienne let go of Gail and backed away from her. "Sorry, Cas," he said casually. "She told me you were jealous, but I wasn't trying anything, I was just trying to help her with her aim. Isn't that right, honey?" he said to Gail. 

The hand that Gail was holding the gun with was shaking. Oooh, she'd love to, and he was standing so close to her that she wouldn't even need to aim. But she'd better calm this down now, or they would never get within sniffing distance of that Tablet. 

"That's right," she said to Cas, touching his arm. "He was just trying to help me aim, that's all. There's nothing going on." She moved in close to Cas and kissed him on the cheek. "Now calm down, Cas. We're all just trying to have a little fun, here. Put the knife away, please." 

He took a deep breath and gave her a shaky smile. Cas put the blade back in his pocket and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her on the lips, then nuzzled her cheek. "Thanks, my love," he said softly into her ear. He realized he had almost blown it. But it was sickening to have to watch that Nazi bastard buzzing around his wife as if he were a bee, and she was the most fragrant flower in the garden. She was definitely that, but Etienne had better watch himself, or he would be one very dead Nazi. But Cas had better try to control his temper until they were able to access the group's headquarters, though. 

"OK, break it up, you two," Dean said, affecting a grumpy tone. He'd almost cheered when he'd seen Cas pointing those weapons at Etienne. He couldn't wait until they were done with these slimeballs. But till then, the masquerade had to continue. 

"Yeah, I want to do some more shooting," Sam added. "I like those targets you guys have got. It's the next best thing to the real thing." 

"It's good practice," Kurt agreed, nodding. 

"The real thing will be here before we know it," Gregoire added, "so we have to stay sharp." 

Etienne gave them both a momentary glare, but then he shrugged. He supposed it was all right. 

"What do you mean, 'the real thing'?" Dean asked them. He kept his tone casual, but the dread was building in his stomach. 

Etienne considered for a moment. Then he asked, "How long ae you guys going to be here in Paris?" They'd said they were here on holidays, so it might be a moot point. 

"We could stick around a bit longer," Sam told them. "We've got lots of free time, and it's starting to look like we might really like it here." 

"I'll tell you what, then," Etienne said to the man. "If you guys are going to stay in Paris a while, I'll talk to Benoit about letting you join our club. We've got an event coming up, and we might be able to use some of your talents. Come to the Hallowe'en party, and you can meet Benoit there. If he thinks you're OK, we'll cut you in." He looked at Gail. "And you can meet the other ladies in the group. You'll find we're pretty progressive; we have a few women who are full-fledged members. They've been decorating the place and doing the cooking for the big party this weekend. I'm sure they'd appreciate the extra help. And then you can meet Benoit at the party too, and we'll see if he'll allow you to join. Since you'll be a guest, you won't even have to serve. But if you want, you can meet the ladies and help out, right now. You must be tired of hanging around with a bunch of guys, anyway." 

Gail made herself smile at him. "To tell you the truth, it will be nice to meet some more girls," she told him. But inside, she was seething. Oh, yes. They were very progressive, all right. All she had to do for the privilege of being able to hang around with a bunch of racist pigs was a little "women's work". But, hey, at least she wouldn't have to serve the bastards, as well. In a way, that was a shame; she could think of at least a couple of ways she could poison their food and drinks. 

"Great," Etienne said. He looked at the other men. "Why don't you guys go over to the bar, and I'll take Gail to the clubhouse and introduce her to the other girls? Then I'll meet you back at the bar." 

Cas frowned so hard that Dean thought his mouth was going to slide right off of his face. "Why don't we all go together?" Dean said, going for the pre-emptive strike. "We can drop her off to hang out with the other hens, and then we can go for some beers." 

Sam had to move his mouth into a neutral expression to keep from grinning. "Hens"? Dean had better make sure his Will was in order, next time Gail got a hold of him. 

"No, there's no need for us all to go there," Etienne said firmly. "I'll meet you at the bar." 

Cas stepped forward, facing Etienne. "Why are you so insistent on taking her by yourself?" he demanded. "What are you trying to pull?" 

Etienne smirked. "Nothing, Cas. Why don't you just relax and go have a drink with the guys? We'll be along in a few minutes." 

Gail was torn. Etienne was offering to take her to the clubhouse, and that was where the Tablet was. She could hardly refuse an offer like that. Maybe she could do some snooping around while she was there. But, at the very least, at least she would know where the clubhouse was. Once they were able to find that out, they could plan a break-in to get the Tablet, so that they could finally get away from these guys. 

"You go ahead with them," she said to Cas. "Have a few drinks. Let off some steam. I'll hang out with the girls for a while, and then I'll see you in a bit." And, she added mentally via their private frequency, if this guy tries anything, I don't care how demure I'm supposed to be, I'll make sure to use the Dean Winchester method on him, if you know what I mean. She gave Cas a quick wink. 

Are you sure you'll be all right? he asked her non-verbally. 

Gail patted her pants pocket. She'd put her Angel blade in there before they'd left their room at the hotel. Cas got the message, and he gave her a brief nod. Etienne wasn't Lucifer, he was only a human. If Cas was supposed to treat her like an equal partner, which he knew was very important to her, he would have to allow her the opportunity to be able to handle herself in these types of situations. 

So the other men gathered up the guns and locked them away in the barn, and they got into one of the two cars they'd driven there in, and took off. 

Etienne and Gail stood by the second car. He was standing beside her on the passenger side of the car, and she assumed that he was there to open the door for her, so she stood there waiting. 

But he was just looking at her. "What's with your husband?" he asked her. 

"What do you mean?" she said innocently. 

"Is he a psycho, or something?" Etienne said, leaning against the car. 

"No, he's not a psycho," she replied, careful to keep her tone mild. "I told you, he's just a very jealous man. He doesn't like it when other guys get too close to me." 

"How about you?" he said, moving in closer to her. "Do YOU like it?" He put his hand on her waist. 

Gail sighed. She could see that she was going to have to break character. If she didn't set this guy straight right now, he would never give up. Either that, or Cas would end up killing him. Not that she would necessarily have a problem with that, but they had to get the Tablet, first. 

"No, I DON'T like it, Etienne," she said. "And neither does the blade I've got in my pocket." She gave him a tight smile. "Cas and Sam and Dean all taught me how to fight, and they taught me how to kill. Cas might be the boss in our marriage, but that doesn't mean that I'll let just anyone with a penis manhandle me, Etienne. So I suggest that you take your hand off of me, or you'll have to limp over to a prosthetics store." 

He looked at her uncertainly. He'd likely never had a woman talk to him like that before. She waited to see what his reaction would be. 

After a moment, he began to smile. "I can see why Cas married you," he told her. "You're sweet on the outside, but I'll bet you're a little spitfire in the bedroom." 

"That's Cas's department, not yours," Gail retorted. "Now, do we have an understanding, or am I going to have to show you what Cas taught me?" 

Etienne hesitated. Then he took his hand off of her. He could overpower her easily if he really wanted to, but he didn't really want to. If she'd been as meek as she'd been coming across and just let him do what he wanted to do, Etienne would have taken her in the backseat. Maybe even have just bent her over the hood of the car. Target practice always got him hot. But since she'd said she would put up a fight, he'd better let it go. If she fought him, he would have to hurt her, and if that happened, he would have to answer to Cas. And Cas was someone that Etienne didn't want to screw around with. Despite what his little wife might say, Etienne knew that Cas was a stone-cold psycho. He recognized the look. There were a couple of them in their group. The kind who wouldn't hesitate to kill, not because they had to, but because they liked it. Benoit loved recruiting guys like that, and he'd told Etienne he wanted a few more of them for the upcoming operation. But guys who were that crazy also had to be handled as delicately as the nitro they had back at headquarters, or else they might blow up in your face. 

"Take it easy, honey," he said to her. 

"Let's just go," Gail said to him, opening the car door. 

Etienne walked around to the driver's side, and they both got in the car. He looked at her again. "You're not going to tell Cas about that, are you?" he asked her, putting the key in the ignition. 

Coward, she thought. Now she almost wished that he had tried to molest her, just so she would have had an excuse to stab him. And then she would sic Cas on him. 

But she took a deep breath and said, "No. Just as long as you keep your hands to yourself from now on." 

Etienne started the car. 

They entered the city limits a short while later. Gail had resolved to herself that she was going to keep track of where the place was, and how they had gotten there, and so far she thought she was doing pretty well. But then, Etienne pulled over to the side of the road. 

"Sorry, but until Benoit gives the official OK, I can't let you see the actual location," he told her. He reached across her and opened the glove compartment, taking out a black scarf. 

"No funny business, I promise," he said with a half-grin. He folded the scarf and gestured to her. She sighed, allowing him to blindfold her. Damn. She'd been hoping to get an address, or at least to be able to describe the place and its surroundings. 

After a few more twists and turns, Etienne stopped the car and came over to the passenger side. He opened the car door and grabbed Gail's upper arm. Then he pulled her out of the car, moving slowly. She was still blindfolded, of course. She'd been hoping the blindfold would slip, or that there would be a gap, enabling her to see something. Anything. But she couldn't see anything at all. Etienne was behind her now, steering her slowly forward. She listened very hard, trying to hear anything that could potentially be a clue, but all she could hear was traffic noise in the distance. She guessed the fact that he could lead a blindfolded person out of a car in broad daylight here was a bit of a clue; the place had to be somewhere that was set apart a bit, so they couldn't be seen. But that didn't do much good, as far as clues went. 

"There are three steps here," Etienne told her, and he helped her up them, putting his arm around her waist. But she didn't object this time, because she knew he was merely guiding her. Then they stopped, and then she heard a door open, and he steered her through it. Then he closed the door behind them and untied her blindfold. 

Gail blinked as her eyes adjusted to the lighting in the interior of the building. They were in the hallway of a place that looked like a recreation centre to her, or a church basement. Could they be in a church? Wow. Considering what this group stood for, she really hoped not. 

"Come on, I'll take you to the kitchen," Etienne said. She followed him through a big, open room, then through another door. 

There was only one woman in the kitchen, a young blonde. "Bonjour, Etienne," she said, her face lighting up when she saw him. Then she looked at Gail, and her happy expression faded. 

"Bonjour, Lise," he said to her. "This is Sarah. She's the wife of a prospective member. She wanted to meet you and the other ladies. Her husband and his two friends may be joining our group soon. I've invited them to the Hallowe'en party this weekend." 

Lise's smile returned once she'd heard that Gail was someone else's wife. "Bonjour!" she said to Gail. "Comment allez-vous?" 

"Bien," Gail replied. "But I should tell you, I'm American, so my French is pretty limited. Are you OK to talk in English?" 

"Oui," Lise answered, and then she laughed. "I mean, yes. Welcome, Sarah." 

"Well, I'll leave you girls to get acquainted," Etienne said. "See if you can find something for Sarah to do, Lise. She wants to help with the party preparations." 

"Sure, leave it to me. Where are you going, Etienne?" Lise asked him. 

He looked at her evenly. "I'm going where I'm going," he said coldly. "You know I don't like to be interrogated." He looked at Gail. "I'll be back to pick you up in a couple of hours." Then he turned on his heel and left. 

Lise looked downcast now. Gail didn't know what to say to the girl. She heard a door slam, and Lise's body jumped with the sound. She stood there for a moment longer, and then she looked at Gail. 

"I'm sorry about that," Lise told her. "I should know better than to ask him a question like that by now. Just because I'm his girl, that doesn't mean that I own him. At least, that's what he keeps telling me." She smiled weakly. 

Gail still had no idea what to say. So, Lise was Etienne's girlfriend? Funny, he certainly hadn't acted like she was his girlfriend. There hadn't been a trace of affection between him and Lise just now, and Etienne hadn't introduced her as such. Maybe Lise only wanted to be his girlfriend, for some ungodly reason, and he was trying to discourage her. 

"Is your husband the same way?" Lise asked her. "Or does it change when you're married?" 

Gail looked at her. Lise's expression was innocent and open. In a way, the girl reminded her of Becky. Gail smiled. 

"I can't speak for everyone who's married, of course," she replied. "But even though my husband is the boss of the household, he wouldn't get mad at me simply for asking where he was going. But, I guess that might be different when the couple lives together." 

"But we do live together," Lise told her. "We've been together for five years. But he doesn't like it when I ask him questions. He goes out at night with Kurt and Gregoire, and I'm not allowed to ask where, or when he'll be coming back home." 

Gail frowned. What an ass. She wondered if drinking with those guys was all that Etienne was doing. But it was really none of her business, and she wasn't here to get involved in their personal lives. 

"He said there would be other women here, too," Gail remarked, trying to change the subject. 

"Yes, Jacqueline and Renee," Lise replied. "They went to the supermarket to get more supplies. When they get back, we were going to make the pies. Would you like to help us with that?" 

Gail thought about it for a moment. "I'd be glad to help you, but I have to confess, I'm not very good at that sort of thing. I can cook some very basic things, but I haven't had a lot of experience." 

"Don't you cook for your husband?" Lise wanted to know. Then she smiled thinly. "I think Etienne would move out if I didn't cook for him." 

He probably would too, the pig, Gail thought. She had fully intended to tell Cas later about Etienne's clumsy come-on, once they were alone; now she was itching to bring it up when they were all together, just so she could see what would happen. 

"The party's going to be a lot of fun," Lise told Gail. "We're going to have lots of food, and booze of course, and there'll be music, too. Now that we have another woman, maybe we can even get some of the guys to dance. And then there'll be a costume competition. Do you know what you're coming as?" 

Crap, Gail thought. They would be expected to dress up. She'd have to figure something out. "We just got invited," she told Lise. "I'll have to think about it." It was just too bad that they would be in the company of these kinds of people; otherwise, it might be fun to go to a party in costumes. She wondered what they should all come as. Then she had an inspiration for her costume, and she smiled. 

A few minutes later, the two other women arrived, and they all began to chat. They unpacked the groceries and started to assemble the ingredients. Lise showed Gail how to make the pie dough, and how to use the rolling pin to stretch out the dough for the pie crust. She'd spread out the dough on the table and dusted flour all around. But Gail was a little too enthusiastic with the rolling pin, and soon she had flour all over her hands, her arms, and her face. She even had some in her hair. 

Lise giggled. "You weren't kidding when you said you'd never done this before. You should see yourself." 

The two other girls started to tease her as well, but good-naturedly. 

"You're even whiter than you were before," Renee joked. 

"Yes, now you'll really fit in with us," Jacqueline agreed. "Too bad we couldn't just run around and sprinkle flour on all of those filthy immigrants. Then we wouldn't have to take care of things ourselves." 

Gail's blood ran cold as the women all laughed. For a few minutes there, she had almost forgotten where she was, and who she was with. They had all been laughing, talking about normal things, and the women had been warm and welcoming to her. But she had to remember who these people truly were, and what they stood for. They were not her friends, and she was here for a purpose. 

"Is it that bad, really?" she asked them, and Lise went to her purse and took out a small makeup mirror. She held it up to Gail's face. 

Wow. She was pretty much covered in the stuff. It would have been funny, under other circumstances. "I'd better clean up a bit," Gail said. "Where's the washroom?" 

Lise told her how to find it from the kitchen, and Gail walked through the empty room she and Etienne had originally come through, and then down the hall to the right. She found the bathroom and washed up at the sink. Then, when she came back out into the hallway, she heard a man's voice coming from a room down the hall in the other direction. She heard him mention the name "Etienne". Curious, she crept down the hall and stood outside the door where the man's voice was coming from. 

"So you say they're Americans?" the man said. Then there was a pause, and then he said, "Sure, bring them. We'll have a chat. If I think they're suitable, we may let them in on the operation." Another pause. Then his voice grew sharp. "Forget about that Tablet for now. You tried three times to get it translated, and all you got to show for it was three dead bodies, and a mess to clean up. I told you, we can't afford to call any attention to ourselves this close to the onset of Operation White Power. We haven't gone through all of the arrangements and spent all that money on weapons just to get arrested at the eleventh hour." 

Oh, God, Gail thought. Holy God. Henri had been right. They were obviously planning something big, and it was going to happen soon. And this man had mentioned the Tablet. It had to be here somewhere, in this building. 

"I'll be here," the man said. "Come to my office after you drop them off." 

Then there was silence. He must have hung up the phone. She'd better get away from there, before she was discovered. 

Gail walked back to the kitchen, thinking furiously. That must have been the boss that she heard; Benoit, Etienne had called him. It sounded like he needed to approve of Cas and Sam and Dean in order for them to gain admission into the group. If they continued their act, he would likely be only too glad to have them for the ominous-sounding "operation" they were planning. She and Cas and the Winchesters would have to get more information about that, and about the location of the Tablet, as well. But now, it wasn't just about the Tablet any more. They had to find out what these guys were planning, and stop them from doing it, or at least let the police know. Henri had said that the police didn't believe him, but he was just one man. And he'd said he didn't have any proof. If they were able to find out what was being planned, they could report it, as soon as they got their hands on the Tablet. A win-win. All they had to do was maintain their roles just a little bit longer. As long as they could keep from throwing up, and she could keep Cas from killing Etienne, they should be fine. 

Etienne had come back to the clubhouse to get Gail about an hour later, and now, he was back in Benoit's office. 

"I think you'll like these guys," Etienne said, pouring himself a glass of wine and sitting in the chair across from Benoit's desk. "Sam is really smart, he can bypass just about any alarm system, and he's experienced with weapons. Dean is a crack shot, and he's just as experienced. And their friend Cas? He's a total maniac. He's calm, cool and collected most of the time, but he carries around a knife in his jacket and he's definitely not afraid to pull it. Guy's got a hair-trigger temper." 

"Is he the one that's married?" Benoit asked curiously. He took a sip of his own drink, sitting back in his chair. "Yes, and he's a newlywed, of all things," Etienne answered. "He's got a cute little wife. Sarah. She was here earlier, helping the other girls with the party preparations. She told me the men have taught her how to handle weapons for self-defense, but she's not a very good shot. Cas has got her under his thumb, though, so she'll do whatever he tells her to do." 

Benoit looked thoughtful. "Well, if these men are as committed to the cause as you say, then we can use them. Maybe this Sam can get us into the most secure areas. We could put Dean on sniper duty, and if Cas is handy with the knife, he could take care of the security personnel, quietly. After the party, we're going to have the girls assemble the bombs, and then sew them into the vests. They're good at delicate work. And, if an accident should happen, well...que sera sera. Are you okay with Lise on assembly?" 

"Of course," Etienne replied casually. "She's a team player, and she's dedicated to the cause. She'll do what I tell her to do. We can put little Sarah at the table with her. Lise said they hit it off very well today." 

"How do you think Cas would feel about that?" Benoit asked him. "Is he willing to sacrifice her to the cause, if necessary?" 

Etienne smirked. Possibly not, he thought. But Etienne didn't give a damn what Cas thought. He wasn't the boss. "We'll just tell him that the ladies are making Christmas decorations, for now," he told Benoit. "In fact, that's what we'll tell her, too. No sense in alarming anyone. If they do their work properly, there won't be any premature explosions. I'll just tell Lise to have Sarah work on the wiring, and I'll tell her to say they're for Christmas lights." 

"How can you be sure that Lise won't say anything to her?" Benoit asked. 

Etienne flexed his fists. "Don't worry, she won't," he said with an ugly grin. 

Benoit shrugged. He knew what Etienne was implying, but it was no business of his. As long as things ran smoothly here, Benoit didn't care how Etienne treated his girlfriend. Nor did he care about what happened to any of them, really. Operation White Power was just what Les Rebelles Blancs needed to put them back on the map. Benoit knew what the police and the public believed. The common perception was that his organization was defunct, and irrelevant. Well, he would show the world that they were still very much a force to be reckoned with. Soon, he would be beating new recruits off with a stick. And if the members he had now were to be martyrs to the cause, so much the better, really. There was nothing more poignant than news reports of women blowing themselves to bits, unless it was children, doing the same thing. He didn't have any of those, yet, but if any of the female recruits were to get herself pregnant, Benoit would likely have to spare her, so they could raise a little Rebelle. Otherwise, women were eminently expendable, as they were easily replaced. Perhaps Benoit would talk to this Cas individual, and see where he stood on the subject. 

At that particular moment, Cas stood in Sam and Dean's room. Sam had just let Henri in the door. Henri sat down at the table. Cas pulled out the other chair for Gail. The brothers sat on their beds, and Cas was standing behind Gail's chair. 

"You were correct," Cas said stiffly. He was still so angry at what Gail had told him about what she'd overheard at the clubhouse and about Etienne that he could barely speak. "Apparently, they are planning something, and it doesn't sound good. We weren't able to get any concrete information yet, but we have been invited to their headquarters the day after tomorrow. We should be able to find out more, then." 

"That reminds me, we'll have to go get our costumes," Gail said. "We'll make that our project tomorrow." 

"Costumes?" Henri said, momentarily puzzled. 

"Yes, we've been invited to their Hallowe'en party," Castiel said. "It's meant to be a social occasion, but I'm sure we'll be able to get more information then. We'll finally be meeting their leader, this man Benoit, and we'll see where their headquarters is." 

"A Hallowe'en party," Henri said, bemused. "Well, that's certainly appropriate. You couldn't be hanging out with a scarier bunch." 

"Can we ask you something, Henri?" Sam said. 

Henri smiled at him. "You can call me Henry, if you want. I only go by Henri here, for the locals. When I lived in Toronto, I went by Henry." 

"You're Canadian?" Sam said, surprised. 

"Yeah," Henri replied. "I live here now, but my family settled in Ontario, originally. That's how my grandfather was able to serve in the Second World War." 

"America had black guys in the Second World War, too," Dean said, a little defensively. 

"Yes, and how many of them were Officers, and decorated for their bravery?" Henri countered. 

Dean looked at Sam. "Probably not too many," Sam admitted, making a face. 

"Exactly," Henri replied. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Canada didn't have its problems too. They were just less overtly racist than in the States. I guess Canadians realized that the Nazis were a way worse threat than a bunch of jungle bunnies." 

Gail gave a small gasp, and Cas frowned. But Henri was smiling. "Don't worry, little lady, I've heard every derogatory term in the book. I'm sure you know how that is. I'll bet those mother-lovers had you toiling away in the kitchen all afternoon." 

She couldn't help but smile, then. "You win that bet," she told him. "I made so many pies, I had to wash the flour out of my hair when we got back here. These guys thought I was going grey, all of a sudden." 

Henri nodded. "We're not so different, you and I. For centuries, we've both been regarded as inferior to white men, forced into roles of servitude to them. In some ways, we've made progress; but in others, not so much. I don't know if we will ever achieve true equality, either you or me." 

"We regard Gail as an equal," Cas said quickly. 

Henri regarded him calmly. "Do you? Well, good for you." Just by the way he spoke, Cas could tell that he didn't really believe him. The question was, was it really true? Cas would have to think about that, once this mission was over. And then he would have to talk to Gail about it. 

Then Henri looked at Sam. "But, you were trying to ask me a question. Go ahead, Sam." 

"Why are you trying to get these guys?" Sam inquired. "I mean, out of all the racist organizations that there are in the world, why this one in particular?" 

Henri frowned. "My grandfather was stationed here in World War II. As I've told you, he served with great distinction, but they sure didn't make it easy on him. He was beaten, bullied and harassed, both by the Parisians, and by his own men. But he persevered, and then one day he met a woman and they fell in love. They got married, and she had a baby. My father. Then, the Army sent my grandfather to Berlin, and my grandmother and the baby stayed here in Paris. One night, when she ran out of milk for the baby, she went down the street to get some at the grocery store. She was attacked on the way home by a group of men who belonged to Les Rebelles Blancs. They beat her, and they raped her, and they left her in a bloody mess on the sidewalk. Her skull was caved in from all the blows she'd received." 

Gail gasped again. She felt like she was going to vomit. My God. No wonder Henri hated those guys so much. "What happened then?" she asked him in a quiet voice. Her eyes had teared up, and her lower lip was trembling. 

"By the time she was found and brought to the hospital, she was already dead," Henri said grimly. "Actually, that was about the only merciful thing. If she had lived, she would have been a vegetable, due to the ferocity of the attack." 

Everyone was silent for a moment, shocked by what they were hearing. Then Henri continued. "The neighbours heard my Dad crying, and they broke down the door. They took care of the baby until the police came. Luckily, one of the officers knew my grandfather, and he knew what had happened to my grandmother earlier. He persuaded the neighbour lady to take care of the baby, until my grandfather could be contacted through the Army representatives. His brother and his wife were back in Toronto, and they agreed to take the baby while my Grandpa completed his term of service. He told me about all of this years later, when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. My parents had never told me, but he wanted me to know the real facts of life. But for every yin, there's also a yang. For every white person who belongs to a group like Les Rebelles Blancs, there are also white people like the cop who cared enough about my grandfather and his feelings not to just take my Dad to social services. And their neighbour, who cared for the baby until arrangements could be made to take him back to Canada." Henri paused. "And the four of you, who are trying to do something about those bastards now." 

Wow, Gail thought. Impulsively, she reached out and put her hand on top of Henri's. "I'm so sorry that happened to your family," she told him. She was crying silently now. She couldn't believe it. His poor, poor grandmother. Being a woman, that was the aspect of his story that she had related to the most. Imagine just walking down the street to go to the store, minding your own business, and being attacked by a group of men, simply because of what colour your skin was? That would be bad enough, but then to be raped and beaten that badly, too? All because you were black? And imagine being Henri's grandfather, getting that call. 

Cas was thinking along those same lines. He was shocked and appalled by Henri's tale. How on earth humans could do things like that to each other was beyond him. But were Angels really any better? There had been very turbulent times in Heaven over the centuries, and he himself and a number of the other males had tortured and murdered both humans and their fellow Angels during some of those times. He had still never confessed everything he had done in the past to Gail, or even to Sam and Dean, who would probably have understood his actions a little bit more. But he had never done anything even close to as horrifying and pointless as what Henri had just described, nor would he ever have. It just wasn't in him. How in the hell could anyone ever think the way that those people thought? It was beyond his comprehension. 

"We will do everything we can to bring these people to justice," Cas told Henri grimly. "You have our word." 

"Thank you," Henri said. He stood and offered his hand to each of the men to shake. Then he looked at Gail, who had also stood. Henri put out his hand, but she shook her head. "I don't think so," Gail said. She moved in closer to him and gave him a hug. Henri was surprised for a moment, but he smiled thinly and returned her embrace. She sniffled loudly, and Henri pulled out of the hug long enough to reach into his jacket pocket and give her the handkerchief he kept there. 

Gail dabbed at her eyes and wiped her nose. "Merci," she said to Henri. "Wow. A man with a handkerchief. You don't see that too much anymore." 

"I like to be prepared," he said, giving her a small bow. 

"We're going to get these guys, Henry. You have our word," Dean said in his most serious tone. 

"I just wish I could help you in some way," Henri told them. He gave them a half-smile. "It's too bad I couldn't get an invitation to their party. I'm already wearing my blackface as a costume." 

Gail couldn't resist a good quip. "Oh, man, I wish. Can you imagine? It's too bad they already know me, or I could introduce you as my husband! Wouldn't you just love to see the looks on all their faces?" 

Henri's smile grew. "You know, that would almost be worth what would happen to me, once they caught me," he told her, and then he gave her a wink. "Keep the handkerchief, Gail. You can take it home as a souvenir." Then he looked up at Cas. "Take good care of her, Cas. She's a very special person." 

"I know, Henri. And don't worry, I intend to," Cas said, smiling. Then his smile faded. "We'll call you after the party, to tell you what we've learned." 

Henri thanked them again and left the room. He exited the hotel. It was dark outside now, and a light rain was falling. He pulled up the collar of his coat and started to walk, rather than taking a cab. He wanted to clear his head. Every time he told his grandparents' story, it took a little piece of him. White folks could sympathize all they wanted, but they would never truly understand how it felt. Henri wasn't afraid to walk anywhere in the dark, though. He had a gun in an ankle holster hidden under his pants leg, and he definitely wasn't afraid to use it. There was just one thing Henri hadn't told his new friends: he had received his own diagnosis a few weeks ago, and it was the same as his grandfather's had been. That was why he felt the sense of urgency now, the one that had prompted him to seek these peoples' help. But Henri had made his peace with the Lord, and he had a good feeling about these new friends of his. When little Gail had hugged him, Henri had felt a wave of goodness coming from her. And when he had shaken Cas's hand, he'd felt the same thing. He hadn't really felt the same vibe coming from Sam or Dean, but Henri knew that they were decent and honourable men. He could just tell. 

"We'll break up that group, I swear we will," Henri promised his Grandma and Grandpa, looking skyward. "Then I'll see both of you, real soon."


	5. The Hero Takes A Fall

"So, what's more scary than going to a Hallowe'en party at a Nazi clubhouse?" Gail quipped. "Anyone?" 

Dean sighed. "I'm so sick of those freakin' guys," he complained. 

"Yeah, maybe we should just forget about the Tablet and stick with Lucifer," Sam joked grimly. "I think those guys might arguably be worse." 

"Right. The Devil you know," Dean said, nodding. Then he looked at Gail. "You know what's scarier?" he said to her. "You, in that outfit." 

She grinned, doing a pirouette. "Why, what's wrong, Dean? You said you liked women dressed up as French maids." 

"Yeah, but not YOU," he groaned. "It's like seeing your sister in one of those men's magazines, or something. Yuk!" 

"'My blood runs cold, Angel is the centrefold'," Sam sang, grinning. 

Gail laughed merrily. That had been a good one. "Well, I just thought it would be an appropriate costume, considering," she said. "The fact that it messes you up is only a side benefit." 

Dean pulled on his white coat over his shirt and jeans. He'd been reluctant to dress up, but Gail had persuaded him to conform, so she'd gotten him a white lab coat at the costume place and told him he could go as a doctor, or a mad scientist, if he preferred. 

She'd gotten Sam a priests' collar, and he was putting it on now. He wore a black shirt and pants, so that was all he needed for a costume. She hadn't really been going for irony when she'd picked it out, merely simplicity, but she and Sam had had a bitter laugh about the symbolism. Maybe he should bring a Bible and whack every Nazi over the head with it, or read them passages about Peace On Earth, or Loving Thy Neighbour. 

Cas had gone with her to the store to help her, and to pick out his own costume. He'd never worn one before, of course. For the first little while, the Earthly clothes he now routinely wore had felt like a costume to him. But then, the trenchcoat he wore over his vessel's suit had become his costume. That was what he had continued to wear in Heaven, so that the Upper Echelon wouldn't look any further down their noses at him, thinking he was becoming humanized. He needn't have worried about that, and he shouldn't have cared. Now he dressed to please himself, and to please Gail, and that was all that mattered. He'd never had much use for things like Hallowe'en; even though Castiel knew that the frivolity was humanity's invention and had nothing to do with actual spirits or monsters, he failed to see the entertainment value. But since the social norm was to dress up in costume, he'd wanted to make a statement with his. 

So while Gail had been searching for something to get for Sam and Dean, Cas had found a costume that he thought was ideal for the occasion. He was dressed in the costume as a Canadian soldier. The costume shop had had a number of vintage uniforms, possibly due to France's affection for Canada over the events during the Second World War. So Cas was going to the Hallowe'en party at the headquarters of Les Rebelles Blancs dressed as Henri's grandfather would have been dressed at the time. None of these white supremacists would understand what he was truly trying to convey, but the Winchesters and Gail did, and they had communicated their approval to him. 

Gail snapped a picture of Cas with his cell phone. "I'd like to show this to Henri the next time we see him," she told Cas. "I think you look really handsome." 

He smiled, putting his hands on her waist. "Thank you," he said. "And you look very pretty." Then he frowned. "Maybe a little too much so, considering that Etienne will be there." 

"So what? You'll be there with me, won't you?" she said, kissing him on the cheek. "Besides, you're not saying that a woman who dresses in a sexy outfit is asking to be harassed, are you?" she added, half-teasingly. 

"No," Dean said quickly. "That's not what he's saying. That's not what you're saying, right, Cas? None of us would ever say that." 

Gail looked at him, smirking. "Good answer," she said. "I'll make sure all the other hens know you feel that way." 

Dean winced. He'd been hoping she had forgotten about that. He gave her a weak smile. "Hey, I'm just playing my part, Gail." 

She let him off the hook. "I know, Dean, I know." She gave Cas another quick kiss and said, "Time to go downstairs. They're picking us up in five minutes." 

They went down and stood in front of the hotel, and the men drove up in an SUV a minute later. Kurt got out of the front passenger side, and Etienne exited the driver's seat and came around to where they stood. Both men grinned at Cas. "That's hilarious," Kurt told him. "Wait till the others see you." 

The men took black scarves out of their pockets. "What the hell?" Dean said angrily. 

Etienne shrugged. "Sorry, guys. If it was up to me, we'd forgo them. But until Benoit gives the official OK, this is the way it's got to be." 

The quartet looked at each other in frustration. But if they refused now, they might not get any further. So Gail said, "All right, just don't mess up my hairstyle, please." "Funny, that's what I was going to say about Sammy," Dean quipped, and the men laughed. 

The men looked around quickly, but no one was watching, so they tied the scarves around the Winchesters' and Cas and Gail's heads, and helped them into the vehicle. As Etienne boosted Gail into the back seat, her skirt hiked up a little and he got a glimpse of her bare thigh. Ooh-la-la. It was really too bad Cas was going to be there tonight. Maybe if Benoit wanted to meet privately with the new recruits at some point tonight, Etienne could get Sarah into a dark corner and put his hand up her skirt, just for a moment. You never knew; if she got all liquored up at the party, she might even let him take her to one of the rooms for a quick one. He'd seen it happen before. And if he could get into her panties once, he was sure she would let him do so again. Etienne was very good, and he knew it. Lise was always telling him so. She was really clingy in the bedroom; she never seemed to be able to get enough of him. But she was also very possessive of him, and there were some things he wanted to do to her that she was still reluctant to let him do. And if he forced her to do them, she would weep and wail throughout, spoiling it for him. Maybe Etienne could get Sarah to let him do some of those things to her. She acted all sweet and demure, but ever since they'd had their moment out at the shooting range, he was sure he'd sensed a spark between them. And she was dressed like a little slut tonight. That might have been Cas's idea, though. Etienne knew that lots of those types of guys made their girls dress like whores before parading them in front of other men, and then they claimed ownership once they saw the other guys drooling. Etienne would just love to sneak around with Cas's little wifey behind the psycho's back. He was still going to recommend Cas for membership because they needed a guy with his skills, but Etienne did not like the guy. What Cas didn't know wouldn't hurt him. 

They arrived at the party and were introduced around to everyone. It was a fairly small gathering, maybe 40 or 45 people, at the most. There were only six women; the rest were all men. The women were circulating around the room, bringing out food on trays and bringing the men their drinks. 

Lise walked up to the group, bringing Etienne a glass of wine. "What does everybody want?" Etienne asked the guests. 

Sam and Dean asked for beers, and Dean said, "What kind of food have you got?" 

"Just about anything," Lise told him, smiling. "What would you like?" 

"Surprise me," Dean said, grinning. Gail glared at him for a moment, and his smile faded. "I mean, thanks, Lise," he said quickly. "Merci." 

Gail sighed inwardly. "Here, I'll help you, Lise," she said. It wouldn't be fair to just stand there and watch Lise run herself ragged, serving them all. "Excuse us, gentlemen." 

They walked into the kitchen and Lise turned to Gail. "Wow," she gushed. "Is your husband ever handsome! So are your friends. Not that I'm supposed to be looking, of course. But maybe some of the other girls will appreciate them." 

Gail smiled thinly. Yikes. Hey, Sam, hey, Dean. Good news. I can introduce you to some cute girls. Sure, they're Nazis, but no relationship is perfect. 

They got some trays of drinks and a couple of plates of food and brought them out to the party room. Some other men had come over to talk to the newcomers in the meantime, and the women had to weave in and out to get the provisions to them. "Don't get used to this," Gail muttered to Dean, and he flashed her a brief grin. He'd have to make it up to her later somehow, but right now, it was pretty funny. 

One of the men bumped her arm, and the plate of sandwiches she was holding nearly fell to the floor. Luckily, Cas was there, and his reflexes were as quick as always. He grabbed it, just before it fell. "Watch what you're doing, honey," the man said to Gail. 

Cas thrust the plate at Etienne, who grabbed it in surprise. Then Cas faced the man who'd bumped Gail and then said that to her. "I think it's you who should watch what you're doing," Cas said in his quiet voice. "And I also think that you owe her an apology." 

"Yeah, OK, Cas. Don't get upset," the man said, putting his hands up. "I'm sorry." 

Sam and Dean exchanged quick smiles. Cas's reputation as a psycho had obviously preceded him with these guys. 

But now, Cas was angrier. "Don't apologize to ME, you fool! Apologize to Gail!" he yelled. 

Gail gasped. He'd just blurted out her actual name. Etienne was looking at them now, and his eyes narrowed. "I thought her name was Sarah," he said sharply. 

Cas thought furiously. What could he say to that? He had blown it. 

But then Gail put her hand on Etienne's arm and said, "Sorry for the mix-up. My real name is Gail, but Cas calls me Sarah, cause he says he hates my name. So, I've been trying to get used to going by Sarah. But when he gets mad, he still calls me by my real name. I don't blame you for being confused. Think how I feel, sometimes. I never know which one I should be." She smiled at the man who had bumped her. "I'm sorry. I'll watch where I'm going next time." Then she moved closer to Cas. "Come on, let's get you a drink." 

She led him to the kitchen. They looked around quickly, but no one was there. Cas let out a shaky breath. "Thanks," he said. "I can't believe I did that. He just made me so angry. He bumped you, yet he expected you to apologize." He took both of her hands in his. "I can't stand the way they treat you," he fumed. 

"I appreciate that," she said, touching his face. "But we only have to keep up this masquerade a little bit longer. It's not that bad, Cas. I'm fine." 

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the mouth. At that moment, Lise came through the kitchen door. "Oh, excusez-moi," she said, smiling. She looked at Cas. "Sarah told me you were newlyweds. Oh, I guess I mean Gail? I mean...what should I call her?" she asked Cas. 

He let go of Gail, curling his hands into fists. Why was everybody talking to him, asking him, as if Gail were not even in the room? Actually, he did know why: to these people, she was a non-person. All of the women were. It was unbelievable. But he tried to stay calm when talking with Lise. It wasn't her fault; she'd likely been treated that same way by these men for quite a while. 

"You might as well call her Gail," he told Lise, tight-lipped. "It's her real name." 

"Oh," Lise said. "Well, anyway, Etienne asked me to come find you. Apparently, Benoit wants to meet with you, and Sam, and Dean." 

"All right," Cas said to her, and he took Gail by the hand. 

"No," Lise said quickly. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I meant, he wants to see the three men, only. You can stay here with me, Gail," she continued brightly. "We can bring out the pies you helped us make." She looked at Cas again. "Gail was a big help to us in the kitchen," she said pleasantly. "She said she was going to try to make some pies for you and your friends, when you got home. But I hope that's not for a while, yet. I hope Benoit lets you join us. Gail and I have just started getting acquainted. Maybe Etienne will let me invite you over for dinner one night soon. I'm a very good cook. I can show Gail a few of my secrets, if you'd like." 

Cas gave her a tight smile. "We'll see," he said shortly. 

Lise's smile faltered a little. "Oh. Oui. Yes, of course. That will be for you to decide. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward." 

Gail looked at Cas. His expression was softening, as Lise stammered her apology. He was going to be apologizing to Lise, in a minute. She didn't want him to blow his cover after all of the trouble they'd gone through, so she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "You go ahead and do your manly stuff. I'll see you whenever you're done," she said to him. Then she leaned forward and whispered, "Grab my rear end." 

Cas looked at her, startled, and then he got it. He put his arm around her and pulled her to him, squeezing her bottom. "I'll see you later, honey," he said in the same condescending tone he'd heard Etienne use, and then he strode out of the room. 

Lise was smiling. She picked up a pile of napkins and fanned herself with them. "Wow," she said. "You two are hot together. You can definitely tell you're on your honeymoon." Then she put down the napkins and sighed. "I don't think Etienne is that into me anymore. And we're not even married, yet." 

"Well then, maybe you shouldn't be with him," Gail blurted out. She couldn't help herself. 

"No, I love him, and I know that he loves me," Lise insisted. "I think he's just feeling the pressure. Benoit has asked him to be of greater service to the cause, and he's still got his job at the Catacombs, too. He's very busy, so if he needs to blow off some steam once in a while, I just need to understand that. I just need to stop nagging him all the time." 

Gail felt nauseous. Now she was starting to wonder if Lise was even a white supremacist at all, or if Etienne just had her so browbeaten that she just thought she was, because he wanted her to be one. Or maybe it was just hard for her to think about such an innocent, naive girl being a Nazi. It was like picturing Becky as a serial killer. Incongruous. But once again, she bit the insides of her cheeks. She wasn't here to create discord between Lise and Etienne. Much as she'd love to. 

"Let's get the pies," Gail said. 

Benoit gave Sam, Dean and Cas drinks from the bar in his office, and invited them to sit down. The men talked in general terms about politics and the differences between their two countries, and soon the conversation inevitably deteriorated into racist rhetoric. 

Cas projected a cool exterior, but he felt sick on the inside. Benoit was behaving like a civilized man, but he was the worst sort of person. He used the most vituperative language to speak about all sorts of people of different races and religions, and the terms he employed to refer to women would have prompted Gail to slap him right in the face. How Cas would love to take out his blade and give this man a few lessons on what was right, and what was most definitely wrong. 

"Our group was a real force to be reckoned with, up until the end of the Second World War," Benoit was telling them now. "Then, when the Reich lost the fight, many members were arrested, or fled the city. We had a brief resurgence in the 70s, but then, things were dormant for quite a while after that. But I think the time is right for a renaissance now. People are fed up with all these immigrants taking over. They breed like rabbits, and they expect our government and our tax dollars to help them, and feed and clothe their children. Then they take our jobs away from us, and then we're told to smile and welcome them. Inclusion is good, they tell us. But, none of that is good! Hitler had the right philosophy, but he didn't go far enough." 

Boy, this guy was sickening. Didn't go far enough?! Sam thought. So, the murder of six million people wasn't going far enough? But he said, "We agree. We have the same problems back home. Immigrants taking our jobs, and terrorists moving down the block from us and opening up their mosques, and we're expected to just sit back and do nothing about it. Well, that doesn't work for us." 

"I'm glad to hear you say that," Benoit said, nodding. "We're all about action here, and we feel the same way. That's why we're looking to recruit men such as yourselves, who think the same way we do. Men who are dedicated to the same goals as we are." 

"Like what?" Dean asked him. "What goals?" 

Benoit considered for a moment. These guys seemed OK to him, and Etienne had recommended them for membership. He leaned forward in his chair. "Operation White Power," he told them. "The eradication of all but the white race. The Master Race. Just the way that Hitler intended." 

Their blood ran cold. It was appropriate that it was Hallowe'en, Dean thought, because this was one scary dude. 

"We've got a few things planned," Benoit continued, " but I won't go into too much detail right now. Tonight's a social occasion. I just wanted to meet all of you tonight and get to know you. Etienne has vouched for all of you, though, and that's good enough for me. So, go out there, have some more drinks and some food, and get to know everyone better. Our first event is being planned for next week. If you're voted in, and if you want to see some action, let Etienne know, and he'll give you your assignments. How does that sound?" 

"It sounds great," Dean enthused. "It's been a while since we've seen some action." 

They stood and shook hands. Then, as they were leaving the office, Benoit tapped Cas on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" He nodded to Sam and Dean. "Go ahead, gentlemen. We'll join you in a minute." 

The Winchesters left the office and Benoit closed the door behind them. He turned back to Cas. "I hear you're a newlywed," he said to the Angel. 

"Yes, that's right," Cas said evenly. 

"How would your wife feel about your seeing some action?" Benoit asked him. 

"In our household, I make the rules," Cas told him, using his arrogant voice. 

"Really?" Benoit said, smiling. "You don't hear that too often these days. Good for you. Don't get me wrong; I love women, but they've forgotten their place. I've heard that your wife knows hers, though. Etienne told me you take a firm hand with her." 

Cas gave him a tight smile. "I do, but she doesn't need much correction. She'll do whatever I say." His stomach was rolling now. It was a good thing he wasn't being taped right now, or his would be the shortest-lived marriage ever recorded in Heaven. And, what did Benoit mean by that statement? Did these people think he would ever raise a hand to her? Was that the way that they all thought, and behaved? Then again, that shouldn't surprise him. Look at the story that Henri had told them. He would have to be extra tender and gentle with Gail when they got out of here. 

Benoit was looking at Cas, considering whether he should give him some more information about the operation or not. The guy was saying all the right things, but something was still holding Benoit back. There was just something about the look on Cas's face and the tone of his voice that seemed a little bit forced. 

"Let's go back to the party," Benoit said. 

When they got back to the main party room, Etienne and Sam were deep in conversation. 

"Languages are one of your specialties?" Etienne was asking Sam. "I thought you were pre-law." 

"Yeah, but I've learned a lot about ancient languages since my college days," Sam told him. "You might say it's a hobby of mine. I'm a bit of a history buff." Sam saw Cas and nodded in his direction. "Actually, Cas is just as good as me at some of the languages. Maybe even better. And Gail's been learning, too." 

"Learning what?" Cas asked, approaching them. He looked around, but he didn't see her. She must be in the kitchen, he thought. 

"Ancient languages," Sam told him, with a raised eyebrow. 

"Why are you talking about that?" Cas asked him. Really? Sam thought, looking at his friend. "Etienne brought it up," Sam told Cas, staring at him. Gail had told them all what she had overheard about the telephone conversation between Benoit and Etienne. It seemed to Sam as if Etienne was the one who wanted to find someone to translate what was on the Tablet. Cas now realized it must have been those two men who he had heard talking down in the Catacombs. Apparently, Etienne had abducted the men that Cas had seen lying dead in the passageway in at the Catacombs, and he had killed them when they had been unable to decipher the Enochian language. But how could they have? It was the ancient language, used primarily by old-school Angels. No humans would be privy to that language. The only reason that Sam knew it was due to his association with Castiel, and the other Angels. 

"I found something," Etienne said to them. "I was poking around in the Catacombs after hours, and I saw some anomalies in the bone art. So one night, I was running my hand along the bones, just to see if I could figure out why they were so uneven in one spot, when one of them shifted, and a hole opened up. I found an old slab of stone in there, with some kind of writing on it, in a foreign language. It looks like it's all in symbols, or something. But I can't figure out what it could be, or even what that stupid piece of stone could be for. Maybe you could take a look at it, Sam." 

Sam's pulse quickened. "Sure I can. Where is it?" 

But Benoit had overheard the last part of their conversation, and he said, "I told you no, Etienne. We can't afford to waste time on that right now. We've still got too much to do for the operation. Now, forget about it. That's an order. It's going to remain in my safe until the operation is complete. Are we clear?" 

"Oui, Benoit," Etienne said, looking chastened. 

"Now, enough talk about that," Benoit said. "Drink up, gentlemen. Enjoy yourselves. Here come the ladies now. I would like to be introduced to your wife, Cas. She's a cute little thing." 

Cas's blood boiled at hearing him describe Gail as a "thing", but his mind was also racing. The Tablet was in Benoit's safe? Cas would bet a million dollars that the safe he was referring to was in the very same office where they had just been. Well, there was only one way to find out. 

Gail walked up to them with a tray full of snacks. Benoit smiled down at her. "You must be Cas's wife," he said to her. 

"Yes, I'm Gail," she confirmed, smiling. She bit back the urge to inform him that she was also a separate person, in her own right. 

"I'm Benoit," he said to her. Then he frowned. "You shouldn't be serving tonight. You're our guest." He looked up. "Renee! Come here!" 

Renee hurried over to where their group stood. "Oui, Benoit?" she asked him. 

"Take that tray from our guest," he said to her. "This is her first time here. "You girls shouldn't be making her serve tonight. She can serve the next time." 

"I'm sorry, Benoit," Renee said quickly. She took the tray from Gail and walked away without another word. 

Wow, Gail thought. Weird. She knew that Benoit was the boss, but this was ridiculous. "I actually volunteered to help," she said to him. "They didn't press me into service." 

"Well, your husband is back now, and I'm sure you'll want to spend some time with him," Benoit said to her. "Enjoy yourselves tonight. You can help the girls clean up tomorrow, and then you can help them make preparations for Christmas. That's a big holiday for us. There aren't nearly enough Christmas celebrations any more. You can't even say 'Christmas' these days without someone giving you a dirty look. But we're Christians, here. We celebrate Christmas, not Kwanzaa, or Ramadan, or whatever those filthy heathens celebrate. We actually put the 'Christ' back in Christmas." 

Cas's hands were curling into fists again. This man had the nerve to talk about being a Christian? What he wouldn't give to go into his costume jacket right now, get out his blade, and send Benoit straight to Crowley. He could have a drink with the King of Hell, instead of Castiel. But Castiel had the feeling that his Brother might not want to drink with Benoit, somehow. Even the King of Hell had his standards. 

Instead, Cas took Gail by the hand. "If you'll excuse us, I'd like to speak with my wife alone for a moment." 

Dean had just approached the group. "Sure Cas," he said, smirking. "You mean, you want to go off somewhere and make out with her." 

"That's an excellent idea," Cas said, smiling. He pulled Gail away from the group and into the kitchen, as that seemed to be the only area that they wouldn't be overheard by any of the men. He told her about his suspicion that the Tablet was locked up in Benoit's office. 

"I want to get in there and see if I can find a safe," Cas told her. "Then, if there is one, Sam and Dean can try to open it, while we create a distraction for them. Then we can get the Tablet and get away from these people." 

"No, we can't, Cas," Gail told him. 

He frowned. "What do you mean?" 

"What about Henri?" she said. "What about what they're planning?" 

Cas thought about that. She was right, of course. Yes, the Tablet was a priority, but they also had to stop these people from doing whatever it was that they were planning on doing. 

"I'll tell you what," he said to her. "If we can get the Tablet tonight, we'll wink it back to the bunker, and then we'll come back, and find out what they're planning. And then we'll turn them over to the authorities, before we return home." 

Gail threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. She'd known he wouldn't be able to just leave without making sure they took care of these horrible people, too. Then at least Henri wouldn't have to worry about them anymore. "I love you, sweetie," she said into his ear. 

Cas smiled. There was a time when he would have just taken the Tablet and left the humans to their own devices. Heaven had trained him to be a soldier, a mindless automaton who just followed orders. Indeed, shortly after he'd met Gail, they'd had an argument about that very subject. They had been in the Impala, on their way to deal with Metatron, when they'd found out that Gail's brother Frank Had been made into a Demon and was in Hell with Crowley. She was understandably very upset, and she had appealed to Castiel at the time. But he had told her that they had to continue on their mission to apprehend Metatron, and so they had. But if the same situation were to arise now, Cas would handle it differently. The mission was extremely important, of course, but sometimes, other factors came into play. There was a bigger picture, and there was a smaller picture, and there had to be a way to do the right thing for both. 

He took her by the hand. "Let's go." 

They popped out of the kitchen and into the hallway just outside Benoit's office. Luckily, he had left the door unlocked. They slipped into his office and split up, each taking a side of the room, searching for anything resembling a safe. There was a painting of a seascape on the wall next to the bar. Could it really be as cliche as that? Gail thought. She reached up and grabbed a corner of the frame, peeking behind it. Sure enough, there was what appeared to be a safe in a recess behind the painting. 

"Cas," she said softly. He came over to have a look. "I thought that was only in the movies," she quipped. 

Cas was just reaching up to look for himself when he heard a sound outside in the hallway. He grabbed Gail and pushed her up against the wall. Then he kissed her, shoving his tongue into her mouth, and he lifted her top as decently as he could, caressing her bare skin. 

An instant later, Kurt opened the office door. "I thought I heard something in here," he said to them, grinning. "What's going on, as if I didn't know?" 

Cas looked at him. "Hey, what can I say?" Cas said. "She's been running around here all night in this little outfit. I just couldn't stand it anymore. I'm only human. I thought I would just - " 

"Yeah, I know what you thought," Kurt said. "But we have other rooms for that, you know. If I were you, I'd use one of them. I don't think Benoit would be too happy to know that you were doing it in his office." 

Cas smiled. "You're probably right about that. But that's what makes it more exciting." He took his hand out from underneath Gail's blouse and released her. "Come on, honey, let's get back to the party," Cas said to her. Gail smoothed out her clothes. She'd been wondering what the hell he was doing there for a split second. He must have heard Kurt out there in the hallway. Cas's vision and hearing had always been very acute. Not that she'd really minded what he'd been doing, but still, it had been unusual behaviour for him, considering the context. 

Cas grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door of the office. "You won't mention this to Benoit, will you?" he said to Kurt. 

"Nahh," Kurt answered, winking at him. "I know how it is." 

The exited the office and rejoined the party. Cas was able to tell Dean quietly about the safe, and Dean told Cas that he and Sam would go check it out. 

"Give us about ten minutes, and then try to create some kind of a diversion so we're not interrupted, like you guys were. If we can crack the safe, we'll take the Tablet and then one of us'll come out and get you. I know you can't touch it, but you can wink one of us over to the bunker to stash it. Then we can come back right away, and no one will ever know we were even gone," Dean told Cas. 

Cas nodded, and a few moments after he'd seen that the brothers had discreetly left the room, Cas walked up to Etienne and poked him in the chest. 

"You need to stop," Cas said angrily. 

Etienne looked at him, surprised. "Stop what?" 

"You know what I'm talking about," Cas said, raising his voice even louder. "Stop looking at my wife!" 

"I wasn't looking at your wife," Etienne protested. But the truth was, he probably had been. When Cas had been talking to Dean, Kurt had been whispering to Etienne about catching the couple in Benoit's office. 

"It's too bad I didn't walk in on them a minute or two later," Kurt had said, smirking. "He probably would have been doing her, right against the wall. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who wastes a lot of time, if you know what I mean." 

And ever since that, Etienne's eyes had been following her around the room as she was bringing food and drinks to the men. Then she'd settled beside Cas again, looking admiringly at her husband. Etienne remembered the fantasy he'd had about her earlier. It sounded pretty much like Cas had tried to do the same thing, but he'd picked the wrong place and the wrong time. Etienne guessed that he himself was going to be out of luck if he wanted to try to get into her pants tonight, but there would be other opportunities, he was sure. But he'd better get Cas off his back now. 

"I wasn't doing anything," Etienne said to Cas again, but apparently, Cas wasn't buying it. He grabbed Etienne by his shirt front and pulled him closer. 

"You're a liar," Cas said. "You've been ogling my wife since the day we first met you. You need to put your eyes back in your head. Either that, or I can remove them for you." Cas had his blade out now, and he was holding the tip to Etienne's cheek. He was going for maximum dramatic effect, to make sure that everyone would stay in this room, watching, hopefully giving Sam and Dean the time they needed in Benoit's office to crack the safe. But, if he were to be honest, Cas was enjoying himself. The look of fear on Etienne's face now was extremely satisfying. 

"Do you think that you can come on to my wife and just get away with it?" Cas yelled in his face. "I could kill you and dump your body in a number of places where it would never be found. Believe me, I've done it many times before. Or maybe I'll just knock you unconscious and cut you. Then I'll take you to your Catacombs and chain you to the wall. The rats would like that very much." 

Etienne was scared now. He knew that Cas wouldn't do anything here, not with all of Etienne's friends and club members to back him up. But the guy was crazy. At any time after tonight, Etienne could feel the cold steel of Cas's blade on his neck and turn around to see his demented face. Now Etienne was extremely sorry he had ever brought those men here. 

"Come on, Cas," Kurt said, putting his hand on Cas's shoulder. "Come on, man. There's no need for that. We're all just trying to have a good time, here. I'm sure he wasn't looking at your wife. But even if he was, she does have that hot little outfit on. Maybe you should put a few more clothes on her next time if you don't want us looking, oui?" 

Cas let go of Etienne and whirled on Kurt. "Are you saying that it's all right to harass her, just because she looks sexy?" he asked Kurt. 

Now the men were confused. Well, yes. Of course that's what they were saying. Everyone knew that if a woman dressed like that and paraded herself in front of a bunch of men, she was looking for that kind of attention. 

"Look, all I'm saying is: Don't put her in an outfit like that and then expect us not to notice," Kurt retorted. "We're only human, Cas, and some of us don't have a willing woman at home. So don't tease a starving man with a meal, and then expect him not to try to take a bite." 

Cas had only been acting a moment ago, but now he was livid. He knew that these were repulsive, disgusting individuals, but once again, he was astonished at their thought process. When he and Gail got back home, he was going to have to get down on his knees and beg her forgiveness for his entire gender. How could she bear it? How could any woman? He remembered all of the times he had been cruel to her and manhandled her, when he had been a Demon. This was what she had been looking at, right here. These men were him, and he was these men. My God. How she had refrained herself from just stabbing him to death with her blade one night as he'd slept was beyond him. He loved her more than anything, and he truly did respect her now, but Cas felt as if he had not done nearly enough to make up for what he'd done. Yes, he'd apologized to Gail, and been obliged to spend some time away from her, and he'd made monetary contributions to the Vancouver shelter for abused women. But it wasn't enough. He hadn't done enough to make it up to Gail. He turned away from the men and looked at her now. He was dangerously close to blowing his cover, because he was dangerously close to tears. 

Gail could see it in his face, and she gave him a small shake of her head. If he were to lose it now, they would never be able to come back here, and even if Sam and Dean had their hands on the Tablet right now, they would all have failed. 

Cas's heart sank. She was right, but he was going to hate himself even more now, because he had to do what was logical in this situation. What all of these Neanderthals were expecting him to do. 

"I told you not to wear that," he said to her harshly. "Next time, you will listen to me, or you'll get the back of my hand again. You've embarrassed me in front of our friends." 

Gail knew what she was supposed to do now. She burst into tears, and she ran out of the room. She ran down the hallway towards the ladies' room, bypassed it, and continued to Benoit's office. She burst through the door. 

"What's going on, you guys?" she said to Sam and Dean. "Have you got it, or not? We're out of time!" 

Dean was standing guard and Sam was leaning against the wall, with his ear to the safe. "I can't get it," Sam said, frustrated. 

"Well, put the picture back, then," she told him. "You'll have to try another time. We're about to get busted! As it is, Cas might have gotten himself in trouble. I need you guys to go and bail him out. Talk like pigs for a few minutes, and I'll be there in a minute. Now, hurry!" 

She popped out as the brothers rushed to do what she said. They'd better not screw around with these guys right now; they were vastly outnumbered. 

Gail popped into one of the stalls in the ladies' room and sure enough, as she'd anticipated, a moment later Lise came into the washroom and tapped on the door of the stall. "Gail? Are you OK?" she asked softly. 

Gail sniffled loudly and grabbed some toilet paper. She rubbed her eyes vigorously with it, then threw the wadded-up paper into the toilet and flushed it. She came out of the stall and made a beeline for the sink. washing her face. 

Lise handed Gail a towel to wipe her face with. Gail did a double-take. It wasn't too often that there were actual towels in ladies' rooms. Lise interpreted her expression correctly and smiled. 

"I bought some towels and put them in here. The nice-smelling soap was my idea, too. Etienne said it was OK, as long as I used my own money and did it on my own time. I think I'll bring in some flowers, next. At least we can have a few feminine touches somewhere in the clubhouse, oui? We have to be around all those men all the time, right?" Lise said brightly. Then her smile faded. "Don't let it get you down, Gail. I've been there before. That's why I got so carried away earlier. I'm so happy to have another girl around, especially one who knows what it's like. The other girls are single. They don't know what it's like to have a really strong man at home. But we do, n'est ce pas?" She leaned against the sink. "I'd bet a million dollars that Cas told you he wanted you to wear that outfit. And now, he blames you because you look too sexy in it. Etienne does that to me all the time. He wants me to look good because he wants to show me off, he says. Show all the other guys what he's got, that they can never have. Cas is the same way, isn't he?" 

Gail nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Lise went on, "I knew it. But then, when the other guys make comments or get grabby with you, he blames you. Well, at least Etienne does, anyway. But he doesn't get mad at the other guys, he just laughs at them when they grab me. I kind of wish he would react the way that Cas did, just once. Just to show me that he really cared. I thought it was really sweet of Cas. It shows he really loves you. I get the feeling if one of those guys out there grabbed me, dragged me off, and raped me, Etienne would just say I had been asking for it. Maybe he'd even buy the guy a beer and compare notes, or something." Then she gave Gail a brief smile. "I'm sorry. I came in here to make you feel better, not to make myself feel worse. All I wanted to say is that I understand. Oh, and after you left the room, I lied and told Cas that I had invited you to shop for clothes. I thought, that way, if he was thinking about...he would think twice about it if he thought I was going to see your body." 

Gail's blood ran cold. Now she was having her own deja vu from the time that Cas had been the Demon. She remembered the time that Jody had taken her shopping for clothes, then barged into the dressing room, seeing the marks all over Gail's body. The similarity was so strong that she felt like she was going to pass out. 

"I get the feeling that you could use a female friend," Lise was saying, "and frankly, so could I. Then the next time we have bruises all over our bodies, maybe we could get a bottle of wine or three when the guys go out, and have ourselves a self-pity party." 

Gail was going to throw up. Did Angels throw up? Her stomach was churning. Just as Cas had looked into a soul mirror earlier, she was looking into one now. She was Lise, and Lise was her, or at least, how she used to be. She had to save this girl somehow; from Etienne, and also from herself. But Gail couldn't break character yet, not until the job was done, and neither could Cas. But at least they would be around to keep an eye on the couple, and once they got Etienne arrested for whatever the group was planning, he and Lise would be separated once he went to jail. Then Cas and Gail could have a talk with her, and tell her what was really going on. Well, as far as the two of them as a couple was concerned, anyway. Maybe they could even take her to a counsellor, if she was willing to go. 

But for now, the sickening masquerade had to continue. Gail put her hand on Lise's arm. "Thanks, Lise. Merci. That sounds really good. I'd love to have a girlfriend." Impulsively, she hugged Lise. But she was sure to do it gently. Gail remembered how much it had hurt when she'd had those bruises and abrasions on her body, and someone had hugged her too hard. Lise hugged her back the same way for a moment, and then she said, "Let's go back to the party, and have a good time. We'll have a few drinks, and then, if they want some more food, we'll tell them to screw off and get their own!" She giggled and then put her hands over her mouth, and in that moment she reminded Gail so much of herself that she felt another wave of dizziness. 

When they got back to the party, Cas's eyes sought Gail's, and she walked over to him. "I'm sorry," she said, playing her part. But then, she went off script. "I never should have worn this costume. I just thought it would be funny. I won't ever do anything like it again." 

Cas slipped his arm around her waist. Now he was the one who felt nauseous. He'd been an ignorant, rude beast, and SHE was apologizing to HIM. He knew it was only for these peoples' benefit, but he still felt terrible. They would be talking about this, when they left here tonight. In fact, Cas thought it was time they talked about a few things. 

They stayed at the party a bit longer, and then Gail started to yawn. "I'm really sorry, but I'm getting tired," she said to Cas. "Do you mind if we go now?" 

"Sure, Baby, I'll take you home," he said to her. He looked at Etienne. "If we're going to call a cab from here, we're going to need the address." 

"Sorry, Cas, I can't tell you that," Etienne said. 

"This is ridiculous," Cas fumed. "You want to recruit our services, yet you won't even trust us enough to tell us where we are." 

"Relax, Cas," Benoit said. "We were actually going to have the vote tonight as to whether or not we want to admit all of you, and if you get through, we'll give you the location. We're a democracy here." He looked around the room. "Who's still sober enough to drive?" he called out. No one in the room said anything, and everyone laughed. Then Gregoire raised his hand. "Pussy," Kurt said, and all the men laughed again. 

Gregoire and Kurt put the black scarves on the heads of all four, and then Gregoire drove them back to their hotel. He told them that it was OK to take the blindfolds off once they got a few blocks from the clubhouse. He was sure that their election would be just a formality, he told them. 

They said their goodnights, and the four of them trudged throught the lobby and up to their floor. 

"I need a shower," Sam said. 

"I think we all do," Dean remarked. 

"Goodnight, guys," was all Gail said, and she turned away from them and headed to her and Cas's room. Cas looked at the brothers, and then he followed her. 

When they got to the door, Cas took the keycard out of his pocket and used it to access their room. Gail entered the room and went immediately to the bureau, taking out a nightshirt. 

"I'll go first," she said to Cas, not looking at him. She went straight into the bathroom and shut the door. 

He sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. He would need more than a shower to cleanse himself, Cas thought. What was he going to say to her when she came out of the washroom? She was obviously avoiding him, and he couldn't blame her. There was nothing he could say to her right now that would make things all right. The excuse of playing a role had to be wearing pretty thin from her point of view right now. He had seen the same look in her eyes tonight that he remembered from the Demon days: a mixture of hurt, anger, and distrust. He couldn't think of anything that he could say or do to erase those pictures in her head, or in his own. He was so deeply ashamed of that time in his life that he didn't even want to try to tell himself that this situation was completely different. She had borne his disgusting behaviour for too long, and then she had finally told him to leave, but then she had forgiven him, and then she had married him. But it was something that would always be between them. 

Gail came out from the bathroom dressed in her nightshirt. "I left that stupid costume on the floor," she told him. "We're supposed to return it to the store, but right now, I just feel like throwing it out, or burning it. What are they going to do, arrest me? I paid cash." 

She was babbling, and she knew it. She couldn't look directly at him right now. Gail told herself she was being stupid. He wasn't the Demon, and his eyes weren't purple. But when she had been in the shower, she had looked down at herself, as if she'd expected to see bruises and welts there. Bobby had apparently been right when he'd told the Angels that she had PTSD; it had just taken this long to manifest itself. But then, there hadn't really been very many triggers up until now. They'd been so busy running around trying to get these Tablets and trying to stay out of Lucifer's clutches. She really hadn't had the chance to experience much fallout from that whole Demon period. And before this, she hadn't even known who she was. So was it any wonder that she felt so strange? 

But it wasn't Cas's fault that they'd been forced into this situation, playing these ridiculous roles to pander to a bunch of Nazis, was it? Any more than it was her fault. Then why could she barely stand to look at him right now? 

"I wish I knew what to do," she said to Cas. "How to get those images out of my head. I know that's not who you are. But I don't think I can get into that bed with you right now, Cas." 

He stood immediately. "I need to go for a walk and do some thinking, anyway," he told her. "Maybe to pray." 

"And what would you be praying for?" she asked curiously. 

He frowned. "I don't know. Absolution? We both know that's not possible. How many do-overs have we both had now? Should I pray for forgiveness? But, whose? It's not our Father I abused, it was you. 'I'm sorry' is such a weak and hollow phrase. The bottom line is that I got away with it, didn't I? Just like Crowley said." He laughed shortly, but without any humour at all. "You and I are the only ones who have any memory of my transgressions. Alexander and Xavier are in Hell, by my hand. Even Lanister. I killed him after Crowley revived me. Whether or not they deserve to be there isn't up to me, it should be God's decision. But I sent them there anyway, out of hatred and vengeance, and then they conspired with Aurielle to obtain the Demon Tablet. Now Lucifer is out there, and that's my fault, too. And then there's you. I've left you with such lasting scars. I've been behaving like a child, Gail. I thought that flowers and sweet words would help you to forget. I was hoping if our wedding and honeymoon was romantic enough, I could erase that monster permanently, wipe him from existence. But I need to grow up. That's not the way that things work. What separates me from those men? Absolutely nothing, that's what." 

"I can't disagree with anything you're saying, or I'd be lying," Gail told him. "The only thing I will say to you is that there IS something that separates you from those men. Quite a few things, actually. The fact that you're aware of it and feel badly about it, for one thing. You could smack those guys in the face with your conscience, and your morals, and they would just stand there and stare at you. That's who THEY are, Cas. That's not who YOU are. It's not your fault that they are what they are." 

"You have to stop saying that!" he shouted, tears springing to his eyes. But he immediately put up his hands, a look of chagrin on his face. "I'm sorry, Gail, I didn't mean to shout. But please, don't make excuses for me anymore. I'm not looking for them, and I don't deserve them. I'm going to go for a walk to clear my head," he continued. "Maybe talk to our Father for a bit. I'll be back in a little while. Please, get in the bed and be comfortable. When I return, I'll sit up at the table. If you feel like talking then, we'll talk. If you want me to give you the gift of sleep, I can do that. Whatever you feel is the right thing for us to do, we'll do. If those men call and say that we're accepted into their cursed club, we'll go, and do whatever we have to do to complete our mission. And then, once we have the Tablet and we have turned them over to the authorities, we can sit down and have a long talk about what we should do. But I can't continue keeping everyone in the dark about how far I fell any more. My conscience won't allow it." 

Gail looked at him sadly. She wasn't particularly surprised that he felt that way. But there was something he wasn't taking into consideration. "So what are you talking about, Cas?" she asked him. "A big confession? You're going to gather all our family and friends together and tell them all about how rotten you were? Fine. But there's something you're forgetting about, isn't there? What do you think that'll do to me?" 

He looked startled. "What do you mean? Why should it do anything to you? I'll make it quite clear that you were the victim." 

She stared at him. He was endearing. He was maddening. He was incredibly naive. "Cas, we're married now. We made vows to each other. That means we're in this together. Do you remember how much Frank hated you back then? Do you know how uncomfortable that was for me? Why do you want to confess, Cas? Just to make yourself feel better? Is there anything constructive that would be gained from your doing that? If you can think of even one thing, I'll hear you out." 

They stood in silence for a moment. Cas took a deep breath, and then he let it out slowly. "I'm going to go for my walk now," he told her. "I'll be back soon." He walked past her and out of the hotel room. 

Well, holy crap, Gail thought. What was she supposed to do now? Maybe she should have just given him the green light to confess. She knew what a heavy burden that must be on his conscience. But she'd meant what she'd said about the potential fallout for herself. Yes, she had been a victim, but did she have to be a victim all her life? They went through that whole ugly thing and had finally come out the other side. Now they were married, and they were a loving couple again. They'd had many ups and downs, but they were strongest when they were together, working as a team. They'd been through this drama before, a number of times. He'd been right about that, anyway; how many do-overs were they going to have? None of them ever took, anyway. 

She got into the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Tucking herself in, just as Frank used to do for her when she was a young girl and they were out on the road. Eventually, when she got older, he'd stopped doing it. But she kind of wished he was here to do it for her now. If only she could have a real do-over. She would do so many things differently. But she could never have taken Lucifer's offer. He was a liar, and a cheat. There was no way she would ever want to be without Castiel, even though he drove her crazy sometimes. She was much too in love with him to ever consider the alternative. If he needed to walk, or pray, or do whatever he needed to do, she would be here when he got back. 

Cas walked around the streets that surrounded the hotel for a while. It had been a clear night when they had returned from the party, and unseasonably warm. But as he continued to walk, the temperature fell, and a light snow began to come down. Then the wind picked up, and the snow was blowing in his eyes, his nose, and his mouth. He turned a corner, but somewhat inexplicably, the snow was still blowing in his face. He hung his head and persevered. Castiel knew now that his mood could influence the weather, if that particular mood was strong enough. The way he felt right now, he was surprised he wasn't walking in a tornado, or a hurricane. 

But perhaps there was a reason for it to be snowing, after all. Cas had been thinking of himself when he had exited the hotel, and the weight of guilt on his shoulders had been all that he could think about, initially. But then he realized how selfish he was being. He was still thinking like a child. A child was the most selfish being in the known universe. All he or she thought about was themselves, because they were not capable of thinking beyond themselves. But Castiel was one of the oldest living beings still in existence since Creation, and there were no more excuses to be made. Lucifer was right. Crowley was right. Castiel was spoiled, and he was selfish, and he had better grow up. 

So then he started thinking about Gail, and trying to look at things from her point of view. It was all very well and good to tell her he loved her, and to show her the physical act of love. But if he wanted to be a married man, he would have to start living up to the second word of the term just as much as the first. Whether or not Gail entirely agreed, it was his job to take care of her at all times, and to protect her from any harm, no matter where that harm came from. Even from himself. There was a time when he had not done that, and, poison or no poison, that was his responsibility. It had always been his responsibility, he just had not always lived up to that responsibility. His, not hers. Never hers. But she was absolutely right; they were married now, and the sacred bond meant that they both wore his yoke now. What had he been thinking? Had he really thought that if they got married, that whole awful time would just magically be expunged from their lives? That it would just have disappeared, somehow? How much of a child was he, anyway? 

Castiel lifted his head to the driving wind and the snow. "I've tried everything I could think of to make it right, Father. I was so sure that by now, You would have reached down and wiped our tears away. Stepped in and saved the day, somehow, as You have done so many times before. But once again, I say 'Amen', even though it's still snowing." 

Silence, of course. He continued to walk. It was time he grew up. Stopped looking to his Father to make everything all right again. God obviously expected Castiel to stand on his own for a change, and his Father was not wrong. It was high time Cas did. Cas didn't need God to save him; he needed to save himself, and Gail, and all of their friends. 

And what about Gail? She'd been right about everything she'd said, as always. If Cas sat everyone down and confessed his transgressions, what possible good could come of it? If the purpose was to ease his burden, then that was the wrong reason. And it would hurt her. How could he even have considered that? Hadn't he hurt her enough? 

Cas pictured Gail's face, and in his mind's eye, she was crying. She had spent entirely too much time crying, and it hurt Cas immeasurably that all too many times, he had been the reason for and the cause of her tears. 

"Every tear you've cried, I hold in my hand," he said softly. "You have never left my side, or my heart. And, though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm." 

Cas began to walk back to the hotel. 

She was still in the bed, and she was still tucked in, in the same position as she'd put herself in when he'd left. Cas let himself in the door and she sat up, looking at him. 

"You're soaking wet," she said, surprised. The weather had been cool and clear when they'd gotten back from the party. "Is it raining?" 

He gave her a brief smile. "Snowing." 

"Snowing?" Gail was really surprised now. She jumped off the bed and went to the window, peeking out of the curtains. It was, too. She watched the flakes blowing around. Gail had always loved the snow. 

Then she turned around and looked at Cas. He was just standing there, clothing sodden, looking forlorn. 

"We need to dry you off," Gail said, approaching him. "Let's see if this thing works on snow." She waved her hands over him, and the golden glow came out. An instant later, his clothes were dry. 

"Cool," she said. "Your hair's still wet, but you can't win 'em all." 

"Thank you," Cas said. "Can we talk, please?" 

"Yes, of course, Cas," she replied. She sat down on the bed. 

Cas sat down next to her, but he did not touch her. He wasn't even looking at her. His head was down, and his hair was dripping on the carpet. 

Gail shook her head slowly. She got back up and fetched him a towel from the bathroom. "Here, Cas. Dry your hair," she told him. "And then look at me and tell me what's on your mind." 

He accepted the towel and tousled his hair with it, then he dropped the towel on the floor and turned to look at her. 

"I'm sorry, Gail," he said, "I should not have married you." 

Of all of the things she had expected that he might say to her, that had been the very last one that she would have picked. Her heart sank, and her eyes blurred with tears. 

"I thought you said you would never hurt me anymore," she said quietly. "Why don't you just go back to beating me up, Cas? It would be faster." 

He was panicking. "No, that's not what I meant," he said hastily. "I meant..." She was crying now, and Cas felt awful. The lump that he'd already had in his throat grew so big that he couldn't speak. Why had he put it that way? He had meant to tell her that she'd been right about everything, he'd been wrong, and he had a lot of growing up to do. He had meant to ask her to please be patient for just a little while longer, while he attempted to become the kind of husband she deserved. That was what he had really meant to say. What was the matter with him? He reached out to her, but Gail jumped up from the bed, and she strode over to the closet. She took a top and a pair of pants off of their hangers. 

"What are you doing?" Cas asked her, his blood running cold. 

"What do you care?" she snapped. 

Cas rose from the bed. "What do you mean, what do I care? I love you!" 

"Well, that's nice," she said sarcastically. She walked over to the bureau and got some underwear out of the drawer. She started to dress quickly. "But, you're sorry you married me," she added. Gail was both hurt and angry now. 

"I didn't mean that," Cas told her. He went to her and tried to put his arms around her, but she stepped away from him. "No?" Gail said, doing up her pants. "Then why did you say it?" She turned her back on him, looking for her shoes. 

"Because I'm a screw-up," Cas told her, distressed. "Because everything is my fault." 

Gail wheeled on him, her shoes in her hand. "It's talk like that that got us in that mess in the first place," she said sharply. "Excuse me." She brushed past him and sat on the bed, putting her shoes on. Then she stood back up. "Now I"M going out," Gail told him. "I'll see you later." 

Cas grabbed her by the upper arms. "Please don't leave, Gail. We need to talk. I need to tell you how I really feel." 

Gail made a face. "I think you already did. So, unless you're planning to physically restrain me, please let go of me, Cas. I don't feel like being here right now." 

His hands flew off her arms, and she winked out of their room. 

Cas sat down heavily on the bed. Well, he had certainly blown that, hadn't he? She must have gone out somewhere to cool off for a bit. He definitely couldn't blame her. He WAS a screw-up. How could he have said such a hurtful thing to her? He really hadn't meant it the way it had come out. But it was too late now, wasn't it? God, he was stupid. He couldn't blame her one bit for being so upset. It would have devastated him to hear her say that to him. 

He sent out a message of apology on their private frequency, telling her again that he hadn't meant it, he loved her, and he would be there for her to talk with whenever she returned. Or she could yell at him for a while if she wanted to, he added, going for a little humour. 

Then Cas began to take off the costume he still wore. He changed into jeans and a shirt, and he folded the costume neatly on the bed. He'd been proud to wear it tonight, feeling that it made an important statement about who they really were and what they stood for. Cas had been both very moved and profoundly disturbed by Henri's story. It was extremely puzzling to him why people whose skin colour was not white were treated differently by some humans. He'd quoted Martin Luther King's comment to Paul about the content of a person's character being the important thing, not the colour of one's skin, and Cas firmly believed that. But the prejudice obviously didn't start or stop there. As Cas had seen tonight, women were viewed by certain types of people as inferior, also. Who decided these things, and upon what criteria were they basing their views? Paul was a bad individual because he had chosen to be a bad individual. It had nothing to do with his skin colour. Look at Henri. He was a good and honourable man who was trying to do the right thing. Both men were black, but they had chosen to walk different paths. And why on earth would women be perceived as being inferior, anyway? From what Cas had seen and experienced, Gail was superior to him in every conceivable way except for fighting skills, but that had absolutely nothing to do with character. 

He went into the bathroom and picked her costume up off the floor. Poor Gail. She had picked out the costume because she had thought it would be amusing, and because she had been trying to make her own statement. And Cas thought she had looked very cute in it. But the decision had backfired on her. He guessed it should not have surprised them that men like the ones they were being forced to associate with would look at her with Lust; after all, they were already committing all of the other Sins, both the written ones, and the unwritten ones. But they had projected their own perverted thoughts and ideals onto Gail, blaming her for their own transgressions. And then Cas had compounded the problem by turning on her, and siding with them. He'd had to do it, to keep the subterfuge going, but it had still been cruel. Then he'd told her that he wanted to confess what he had been and what he had done when he'd been a Demon to their friends, putting her in an impossible situation, and then he had left. Then, to top it all off, he had come back and announced to her that marrying her had been a mistake! Even though that was definitely not what he had meant to say, he had still said it, hadn't he? If Cas looked at this evening from Gail's viewpoint and put himself in her shoes, he came off as the most insensitive jerk on Earth, or in Heaven. He'd be lucky if she weren't sitting in the waiting room of a divorce attorney's office back in the States right now. But that was ridiculous thinking, of course. Their union was not a legal matter; it originated from a much higher place than that. So, unless Gail had better luck receiving an answer from their Father than Castiel ever did, she couldn't just summarily divorce him. But whether or not she elected to keep living with him after tonight might remain very much in question. 

Castiel sighed. He wrote a note of apology and waved his hands, conjuring a dozen red roses. He left both on the bed in case she got back before he did. Then he gathered up both costumes and winked over to the rental place. He left both on the doorstep with a note apologizing for the mode of delivery, and the fact that her costume hadn't been cleaned. It seemed that Gail's cleaning powers would have come in handy for Cas to have, in this situation. But just the mere fact that she was the only one who their Father had endowed with that particular power was part of the bigger problem that they were facing, and that Cas was now just starting to understand. God had meant well, Castiel was sure, but it seemed that the Almighty Himself might be just as susceptible to the same double standards that all of his male creations seemed to labour under. Cas would have to think about that, too. He looked forward to a good discussion with Gail on that subject. That was, if she ever spoke to him again. 

Gail popped into the library area of the bunker. Due to the time difference between the two countries, she knew that it would already be the next morning there. She was hoping that Frank and Jody would be home, but at this point, she would take pretty much anyone she could get. 

She would go back to Paris in a little bit and hash it out with Cas. Gail knew him well enough by now to know that he hadn't really meant what he'd said. When he was feeling emotional, he didn't always know how to express himself clearly. So he would usually start off with a blunt statement, and while your head was reeling from what he'd just said, he would be awkwardly trying to tell you that he hadn't meant what he'd just said, not at all. Then he would be trying to explain what he'd actually meant. "Damn Angels," she muttered, imitating Dean. That made her smile. She hoped Cas wasn't too freaked out by her sudden departure, but with the night she had just had, she had just needed to get away for a bit. Regroup. She knew Cas didn't mean exactly what he had said, but that didn't make it hurt any less to hear. She'd just had her fill of Paris, and even of him, for a few minutes. And if he could do his sudden disappearing acts, why couldn't she? Gail needed to talk to someone, or she was going to lose it. She needed to talk to someone who would understand. 

"Yoo hoo," she called out, upon seeing that there was no one in the library area. "Anybody here? It's just me!" 

"We're in the kitchen, Gail." Frank's voice. 

She walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. Frank and Jody were sitting at the table having coffee. 

"What are you doing here?" Frank asked his sister. 

"Nice to see you, too," she said dryly. 

"What he meant to say is: are you here by yourself? Did you guys get the Tablet?" Jody said, smiling. "And: it's good to see you, of course." 

"Why is it that guys never say what they really mean?" Gail said, answering Jody's smile. She poked Frank in the shoulder. "There, was that so hard?" 

He put his arm around her waist and gave her a brief hug. "Hey, kiddo." 

"Yes, I'm here by myself," Gail confirmed. She looked at Jody. "I came here to talk to you." 

Jody misunderstood. "If you and Frank want to talk, I could leave." 

Gail shook her head. "No, Jody. I want to talk to YOU. I need to talk to another woman." 

Frank looked puzzled. "You want to talk to another woman? About what? You're an Angel." 

"Who also happens to be a woman. Now take your coffee, and take a hike," Gail told him, smiling. She leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. 

Frank sighed and got up from the table. "I'll be out in the library," he told the women. He smirked at Jody. "If you two are gonna talk marriage, don't give away any of my secrets." 

Gail rolled her eyes. "I lived with you for years, Frank. Believe me, you have no secrets." 

Frank shrugged. "OK. In that case, try to find out some of Cas's secrets," he joked to Jody. "I need something to blackmail him with." Then he left the room. 

Jody smiled at Gail, who sat down beside her. "Let me guess: Cas has no secrets, because he's perfect, right?" she said to her sister-in-law. 

Gail sighed. "Not exactly, Jody." Jody raised her eyebrows. Were Cas and Gail having marital problems? 

Gail explained to Jody about Les Rebelles Blancs, and about Henri. "I'm pretty sure they're going to let us into the group, and then we'll find out what they're planning and then turn them over to the cops," she told Jody. "Then we'll grab the Tablet and get the hell out of there." She sat back in her chair, frowning. "And I'll be very glad. I know Paris is supposed to be really romantic, but I'm so done with it." Gail studied Jody's face. "How did you do it for all those years, Jody?" 

"How did I do what?" Jody said, rising to get a refill from the coffeemaker. She'd wondered why Gail had asked Frank to leave the room. But now, with that question, Jody thought she was starting to get an idea. 

"How were you able to be a female Sheriff in a small town?" Gail asked her. Jody nodded. So, that was it. "How were you able to get all those male officers to listen to you, and respect you?" Gail continued. 

Jody came back to the table, grinning. "It helps when you have a gun," she joked. Then her expression grew serious. "For a long time, they didn't," she told Gail. She had a faraway look on her face as she thought back. "They pulled all kinds of childish pranks on me at the beginning, and when I bitched about it, they told me I had to develop a thicker skin. They pointed out that they had all gone through the same stuff when they'd been rookies, and if I wanted to be treated like an equal, I should grow a pair and get a sense of humour." She sighed. "So I tried that, for a while. I laughed at all of their juvenile, sophomoric jokes, and I went out for drinks with them. I listened to all of their gripes about their wives and kids, and I gritted my teeth when they talked about what a bunch of bitches women were. No offense to you, Sheriff, they said, but you're one of the guys when you come out with us." Jody made a face. "So I did that for a while, and then, when I couldn't take it anymore, I called them all into my office and closed the door. Then I told them that I was putting an end to all of their b.s. right there and then. That I was both a cop and a woman, and I was going to have their respect, or I was going to boot their asses out of my office and off of my force. A couple of them smirked at that, so I fired them on the spot. The other guys were pretty quiet after that." She smiled grimly. "Then I told them that I was there to be their boss, not their friend, and I wasn't going to stand for any more insubordination. And, that was pretty much it. Things were a little cool in the office for a while after that, and it took a few years, but eventually, I ended up having a pretty good working relationship with most of the men. Some of them even came to the wedding, if you recall. But even though I believe that most of them respected me in the end, I never forgot the way they originally treated me. Like the fact that I didn't have a penis made me a lesser person, somehow. That they could treat me any damn way they wanted, just because I was a woman." Unexpectedly, Jody felt tears spring to her eyes at the memory. Very few men would understand, but Jody knew that Gail would. They were tears of frustration. It was something that Jody'd had to deal with all of her life; at least, until she had met the Winchesters and had been welcomed into their circle. Nobody here seemed to give a damn about whether you were a man or a woman; it was more important what your morals and values were than what you looked like. And Frank had always treated her like both an equal and a woman at the same time, and Jody appreciated that. 

But Jody couldn't imagine what it had been like for Gail to have had to put up with what she'd had to take from those Nazi bastards. And then to have to listen to Cas agree with them and spout the same nonsense? Jody would have shot someone by now, or kicked their asses, at the very least. Poor Gail. Jody remembered how rough it had been on her in Egypt. Jody had hated the way they'd had to keep their faces covered, and the fact that they could only go somewhere if accompanied by a man. But at least Jody and Frank had been a married couple. Gail had had to tag along with them everywhere, so that she could be in the company of her brother. In this day and age. She and Gail had gone along to get along, but it had been maddening. And at that time, Cas had been playing yet another role. He'd had to pretend that he didn't even know Gail, and he'd been an obnoxious jerk. Now, it appeared as if he had to be one again. Actually, this time it was even worse, because now he had to be a racist, too. It was kind of funny that a guy who was as nice as Cas kept finding himself thrust into these kinds of roles, Jody thought. But Gail clearly wasn't laughing. 

"I'd say to remind yourself that you're both only playing roles, but I won't insult your intelligence," Jody said to her. "I know you're well aware of that, and I'm sure that Cas has said the same thing to you. But I know that's only empty words. When they're smacking you on the ass and saying 'fetch me another beer, honey', the last thing you're thinking about is that you're playing a role. The first thing you're thinking about is taking that beer bottle and smashing him in his big fat face with it." 

Gail smiled widely. "Thank you!" she said to her sister-in-law. "That is exactly what I needed to hear! Not that I would ever do anything like that to Cas, of course," she added innocently. 

Jody shook her head. "Oh, no, of course not," she said, just as innocently. "I myself have never wanted to hit your brother upside the head with anything." 

The women looked at each other, and then they began to laugh. Gail laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes, and she had to wipe them away with the backs of her hands. 

"Thanks, Jody," Gail said as her laughter subsided. "That was just what the doctor ordered. Hey, and speaking of which..." Gail glanced toward the kitchen doorway, lowering her voice, "How's Project Baby going? Are you still on those pills?" 

"Nah," Jody replied. "I threw them away. I didn't like the way they made me feel. And until we can put Lucifer away, I figured I'd better put that project on hold. You guys might need us. Plus, Robbie's a full-time job as it is, and he's going to be a teenager in just a couple of years. But at least he's got about fifteen surrogate parents." She shrugged. "Oh, well. It'll happen when it happens, if it's meant to happen." 

"Where is Robbie, anyway?" Gail asked Jody. 

"Barry and Tommy took him to the mall," Jody replied. 

"Barry and Tommy?" Gail repeated, her forehead wrinkling. "Just the three of them? Isn't that dangerous?" 

Jody regarded Gail calmly. "It would be, if they were there alone. Bobby and Chuck are with them. He's got to be able to do some normal things, Gail. If we keep him cloistered away all the time, he's never going to be able to meet any kids his own age. He keeps to himself way too much as it is." 

Gail nodded. Cas would probably freak out if he heard about that, but Gail could relate. She had been the same way growing up, spending hours alone in her room, reading. But that was probably why she'd turned out to be as timid as she had, and why she sometimes let people intimidate her, even now. Especially men. So she tended to overcompensate sometimes, and that was when she would end up yelling at Cas, when it wasn't really him she was angry at so much as his gender. Perhaps if she'd been more socially active growing up, Gail would be better equipped to handle the adult relationships she had now. Maybe Cas wasn't the only one with some growing up to do. 

But this had been a good start. Gail had come here to seek Jody out, figuring that Jody would be the best person to be able to relate to how she had been feeling, and provide some empathy. And her sister-in-law had done just that, and now Gail felt much better. Maybe she needed to do a bit more opening up like this from time to time. 

Gail rose from her seat. "I'd better get back," she told Jody. "Cas and I have to talk, and then we have to have the hottest make-up sex ever." 

Frank had been coming back up the hall. "Ewww," he said. "Yuk. I don't want to hear that." 

"Well then, you shouldn't have been listening," Jody said to him. She rose too, and she touched Gail's arm. "Stay strong." 

Gail put her arms around Jody, giving her a hug. Surprised, Jody hugged her back. 

"You were very smart to marry this woman," Gail said to her brother. 

He smiled. "I always thought so." He approached the women. "Now, do me a favour and get off my wife. I think I want to hug her, myself. You know, kid at the mall, and all that," Frank said, elbowing Gail aside. "Go hug your husband." He grinned. "And that's ALL I want to imagine you guys are doing. And I don't even want to think about you guys fighting. Just go back there and let him out of the doghouse, already." 

Gail smiled at Jody. "I will. I just have to stop by the beer store, first." She and Jody laughed again. 

Frank looked at them, puzzled. Then he shook his head. Women. "Oh, hey, before you go, I want you to see something," he said to Gail. He moved quickly over to the fridge and removed something from the front of it. "Look at this," he said, giving the piece of paper to Gail. 

It was a one-page essay that Robbie had been assigned to write for school. Since he'd just been enrolled, his teacher had asked the boy to write a short composition. Who did he look up to the most, and what had this person taught him? So, of course, Robbie had written about his four parents, his numerous Aunts and Uncles, and his Grandpa, who everybody else respected and listened to. Robbie had said that he couldn't possibly pick one over the other, because he'd learned all kinds of things from all of them, and he was still learning. The teacher had been so impressed with what she'd read that she'd given the essay back to Robbie and told him what a lucky young man he was. She'd also told him that she thought he had a real talent, and that she was going to assign the class to write a story every few weeks. Video games were all very well and good, but she believed in using one's imagination, as well. So Robbie had come home, all excited, with the essay in his hand, telling his mom and dad and his other two dads what the teacher had said. Robbie was very happy about the way his essay had been received, and he was looking forward to trying to write some more. Tommy had taken the essay and attached it to the front of the fridge with one of the fridge magnets that Barry had recently bought, telling Robbie that was the designated Place of Honour. Tommy had been bursting with pride when he'd heard that the teacher had praised Robbie on his writing skills, almost as if Robbie was his own son. He'd told the boy that he would be glad to review anything Robbie wrote and give him some pointers, and Tommy had gone around for the rest of the day grinning from ear to ear. Frank had made a joke about having to take Tommy shopping for some new shirts, since he was busting the buttons off the one he had on, and all four of them had laughed at that. 

Gail smiled as Frank told her the story, and when she read the essay, she saw that Robbie had mentioned everyone by name. He'd stated that his Aunt Gail was really smart and really brave, and when he grew up, he wanted to be strong and good, like his Uncle Cas. He didn't get to see the two of them that much, Robbie had said, because they had been travelling around the world, helping people. But Robbie knew that if he ever needed them, all he had to do was think about them, and they would be there for him. 

Tears sprang to Gail's eyes. Wow. Leave it to a kid to give you a perspective on things. She and Cas WERE travelling around the world helping people; helping all of mankind, in fact. Her feelings seemed small and petty compared to what was at stake in Paris, both with regard to the Tablet and with what Les Rebelles Blancs were planning to do to innocent, unsuspecting people. They had to get those bastards, and they had to get them now. 

She threw her arms around Frank and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," she said to him. Then she looked at Jody. "Thanks to both of you. This was just what I needed. Say hi to Barry and Tommy for us, and give Robbie a big hug from me and his Uncle Cas. We'll be home as soon as we can." Then she vanished from the bunker as Jody and Frank looked at each other and smiled. 

The two humans and the two Angels were sitting at a table at the Food Court talking, keeping half an eye on Robbie. He'd met a couple of his classmates while looking at the latest video games at one of the stores, and the boys had invited him to go for a slice of pizza and talk about which games they wanted for Christmas. So Robbie's guardians had let him go off with the other boys, but they were keeping watch on him from another table. 

"What are you doing here, Chuck?" Tommy asked the Angel. "Why aren't you in Paris?" 

"Cas didn't need me there," Chuck said bluntly. "I guess he's the boss now, right, Bobby?" 

Bobby looked at Chuck uneasily. Ever since the Prophet had gotten back from Paris, he'd been acting a little strange. Bobby couldn't quite put his finger on it, but now, when Chuck spoke, his voice always seemed to have a bit of an edge to it. Bobby wondered if Chuck was even aware. Maybe Chuck was upset that Cas hadn't seen fit to include him in the operation, for some reason. But Bobby wasn't prepared to comment on it, one way or the other. To all intents and purposes, Cas WAS the boss, at least as far as the Tablets went. Bobby had told him to take the ball and run with it, and he had no idea what was going on over there. Maybe he should call Cas and get a report, but it sounded to Bobby like the four of them had the mission well in hand. It was probably just sour grapes on Chuck's part. 

It was, in a way, but there was a lot more to it than that. Chuck missed Desiree already; or, more accurately, he missed the kind of companionship that she had provided for him. Chuck knew, deep down, that Desiree wasn't girlfriend material, but he missed her sweet, feminine attention. She had given him a lovely parting gift, a small sculpture of the Eiffel Tower. Take it back to the library, she'd said, and put it on the front desk. It would be a lasting memento of the terrific time they'd had together. So Chuck had taken it and put it on his desk at the library. What Chuck didn't know, of course, was that there was one of Rowena's hex bags in the centre of the sculpture, and every time Chuck picked the statue up, or even inhaled in its general direction, he was being infected with the Sin of Envy. She'd thought it would be fun to wind Chuck up and see how far he would go. She'd also put a sprinkling of Lust in there, just to add a little spice to the stew. Chuck's mind was slowly and systematically being poisoned. Soon he would hate Castiel, and he would lust after Gail, and both emotions would begin to drive poor Chuck crazy. A little payback was in order for Heaven's golden couple. And if they were distracted by Chuck, and with their hunt for the Tablets, they would be out of Rowena's way when she arrived back in America to begin her campaign to win her husband back. 

"Leave Cas alone and let him do his job, Chuck," Bobby told him. Chuck's eyes narrowed. He wasn't mad at Bobby, but Bobby's answer had pissed him off, nonetheless. Why the hell did everybody keep sticking up for Cas? Did he think HE was God now? And Chuck was sure that Cas was treating Gail like crap. Before Chuck had left Paris, they had filled him in on what had been going on with the white supremacists, and the roles that they had been playing. It was Egypt all over again, and again, poor Gail was being ill-treated by the man who was supposed to love her and take care of her. 

But there was nothing Chuck could do about that at the moment. He was back home now, back to his books and babysitting a pre-pubescent human, because apparently, that was all that Chuck was qualified for. Chuck didn't even know what he was doing here, exactly. He'd just felt like getting out of the library for a while. It was hard being cooped up in there after he'd been able to do a little travelling, for the Tablet missions. Chuck had even been a hero recently, helping Gail to help Robbie escape Lucifer. And Chuck had also helped to save Gail herself, from both Lucifer and Jason. But did he get any credit for that? Apparently not. Cas had ridden in on his white horse and whisked her back to Paris, and then he had kicked Chuck off the mission. But a small voice in Chuck's head also protested those thoughts. Wasn't Gail Cas's wife? Of course he would want her with him in Paris. Why should that bother Chuck so much? So he'd asked Bobby if he could come along as part of Robbie's protection team, just to feel like he was making some kind of a contribution, however small, to the side of Good. It seemed like the only thoughts Chuck had had lately were the kind of thoughts he used to have, when he'd been a bad guy. Chuck didn't want to be That Guy, ever again. 

Bobby was talking about the Tablets now, but rather than dwelling on who was where, or in charge, he was talking about the physical Tablets themselves. "I've been wondering if we shouldn't be studying them while we have them in our possession," Bobby was saying. "There's Enochian etched on them; I think we should try to translate as much of it as we can, while we can. After the Demon Tablet fiasco, we should probably see if there are any more little surprises on them. Once we have 'em all, we still don't know what we're supposed to do with them. At the very least, we should transcribe what's on them. But I don't want to take them out of the bunker, and I don't want them split up." He looked at Barry and Tommy. "I wish I had Sam, but since I don't, I'm going to send Kevin down to the bunker to study them. And I'll send Ethan with him, to provide extra protection in case any of you needs an escort anywhere. Don't hesitate to use him, or to call me, if you need anything, guys. Lucifer's been too quiet lately, and I don't like it. He's got something hatching in that demented skull of his. I know he does." 

Barry and Tommy nodded, and now Chuck was feeling resentful again. The other two Musketeers were now going to be of service, but apparently, Chuck wasn't good enough to provide protection for these guys. He stood from his chair. "Well, it's back to the library for me, then," Chuck said to the others, and he strode away from the table. He found the mens' room, entered a stall, and winked himself up to Heaven. He went to the library and sat down at his desk, taking deep breaths to try to calm himself. But of course, the deeper he inhaled, the more poison he was ingesting, courtesy of Rowena's wicked aromatherapy. Soon he was lost in fantasies of sex, heroism, and revenge.


	6. Keep The Faith

Becky, Ethan, Kevin. Lucifer checked his list, and then he checked it twice, like some kind of demented Santa Claus. Those Angels were his next targets. They were all young, and he was pretty sure that he would be able to con one of them into capitulating. 

He called Mark into the room and ordered him to go back to the bunker. "Keep an eye on whoever's there, and let me know what they're doing," Lucifer said irritably. That damn bunker. They kept just popping in and out of there, and he could no longer access the place due to that stupid candlestick. He couldn't even see into the premises any more. But he felt confident that someone there would slip up soon. His more formidable enemies had deserted the place for the quest, Crowley included, and the lesser Angels would be easy prey as a result. 

Mark obeyed his Master, of course, but he was secretly starting to have his doubts about him, as well. After all those untold centuries of anticipation, Lucifer was proving to be a big letdown. He'd arrived full of promises, preaching murder and mayhem and Armageddon, but now, he was just sitting around, swilling brandy and railing at the Angels. Lucifer had become Fat Elvis, all of a sudden. But Mark wasn't too eager to tell him that; the Gospel writer was still recuperating from the painful wounds he'd suffered at Castiel's hands. Maybe he should tell Jason to do it; Jason was a Vampire, after all. Could he even feel pain? Who the hell knew? But Mark and Jason could barely stand each other, and Jason flitted in and out of here like an indoor/outdoor cat, coming and going as he pleased. 

Mark sighed heavily, and then he went to the bunker as ordered. 

Cas and Gail had talked for the rest of the night into the morning, and they were all right again. She had come back from the bunker determined to bring up every slight, every sore spot, and every screw-up of his, and air it out. Then she was going to force him to do the same, when it came to her. He would probably protest, but she was going to insist that they get everything out into the open. It was only by talking about these things that she could get them off of her chest. 

He'd been eager to see her. Even though Gail hadn't been gone that long, Cas had been sitting there brooding, coming up with scenario after scenario where she was going to come back here and tell him she was fed up with him, throw her clothes in her bag, and pop back out. 

So when she came back to their room, he rose from the bed where he'd been sitting and studied her face to see if he could tell how angry she was. He was astounded when she approached him and put her arms around him. 

"Kiss me once, before we have our fight," Gail said to him. His arms circled around her and his mouth came down on hers. They kissed for a minute, then Cas broke the kiss and moved to the place where he'd left the note and the roses for her. He handed her both now. 

"I have no idea whether these will help to mitigate your anger towards me, but I thought that they couldn't hurt," Cas said, trying to smile. 

Gail looked at him. She took the flowers and the note from him, but even though she briefly smelled the flowers, she immediately put both items back down on the bed. "You're right, they don't hurt," she told him, trying not to smile. She wasn't ready for that just yet. "But I think we should sit down and have a good, long, honest talk about some things." 

She walked to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. He looked at her for a moment, and then he took the other chair opposite. 

So they'd talked and talked, and Gail told Cas how she'd felt like she had to talk to another woman and commiserate. "I know that you're not one of 'those guys', Cas," Gail told him softly. "I KNOW that. But I'd just had it for a bit, with all of you. I needed to talk to someone else who's been through the struggle. I wouldn't expect you to understand, and quite frankly, I knew you wouldn't. I'm sure you've never experienced that kind of prejudice." 

Cas nodded. "You're right, I haven't. Every time I've had a vessel, I've been a Caucasian man. But I might understand more than you think. Remember how I used to be regarded by the Upper Echelon board in Heaven? They looked down their noses at me just because I was who I was, and what I was. For no other reason than that. And my resentment of those men built, for years upon years, until I snapped. I killed Lanister primarily to protect you, or at least, that was my justification at the time. But then, when I was the Demon, I killed Alexander and Xavier, just because I could. And, you know what, Gail? I did it because it made me feel good. I had let the resentment boil over to the point where that felt like an appropriate response to me." He frowned deeply. "I can try to blame it on the potion all I want, but the truth is, I can't say whether I would have done the same thing even if I hadn't been under its influence." Then Cas stopped talking. Now he felt like kicking himself. Gail had been talking about herself and her feelings, and he had turned it around to talk about himself. He shook his head. "You must think I'm the most selfish man that ever existed," Cas said to Gail. "I've been talking about myself. I'm sorry, Gail." He hung his head. He was dying to take her hand, but he didn't feel like he had the right to ask for it right now. 

Gail was thoughtful. Part of her felt that he had indeed hijacked her point, but she also thought by what he'd said that he did sort of understand how she felt. And it was very important for them to be able to confide in each other. So she looked at him and said, "No, I get what you're saying, Cas. You're trying to tell me I shouldn't bottle up my feelings. And I know that, too. When you were the Demon, I bottled and bottled, and there were some things that I'll never quite get over. But I meant it when I said that I don't want us to dwell on it. I don't think I could stand it if we did that." 

"I never made it up to you," Cas said miserably, still not looking at her. "I hurt you immeasurably, and I just simply got away with it." 

Gail smiled grimly. "If you went and looked in the mirror right now, I think you'd agree that you haven't really gotten away with anything. You should see your face." 

Cas looked up at her. "You should feel my stomach right now," he said, trying to match her tone. "I imagine this is very much what seasickness feels like." 

"Would I be a terrible person if I admitted that part of me is a little bit glad that you feel that way?" Gail said, raising an eyebrow. 

He smiled sadly. "No, not at all." Then he said, "May I have your hand, please?" 

"Not yet, Cas. We're not done yet," she told him. "That's why I wanted to sit up here and talk. When you start touching me, I have a tendency to let things slide." 

Cas looked sheepish. "Sometimes I've been bold with you that way to avoid these types of discussions," he admitted. "I'm sorry about that, too." 

"We both have to grow up a bit," Gail said, nodding. Then she smiled faintly, gesturing towards the bed. "I promise you, we'll get to that, but we have to do this, first." She sighed. "Are you still thinking about confessing?" she asked him. 

Cas shook his head. "No. You were right; that wouldn't be fair to you. It would serve no purpose, and it would just make matters worse. I don't believe that my conscience would be eased by it, either, because it was you that I wronged, most of all. I just spoke without thinking. I tend to do that sometimes," he finished, with a weak attempt at humour. 

"You? Noooo," she said, with a touch of her own humour. "Next you'll be telling me you occasionally lose your temper." She took a deep breath. "Which brings us to the big one, and I expect you to answer honestly: Are you really sorry we got married, Cas?" 

"No!" he exclaimed. He jumped off his chair and came around the table, sinking to his knees in front of her. "I didn't mean that at all, Gail. Please, you have to believe me. Of all of the stupid things I've ever said to you, and there have been many, that was the most stupid. I'm not sorry we got married; not at all. I only hope YOU'RE not sorry, especially after how I've behaved." 

"Then why did you say that, Cas?" she said, sighing with frustration. 

"I don't know," he agonized. "What I meant to say was that I hoped I hadn't pushed you into marrying me. That I was behaving like a child, instead of a man. And that I'm trying my best to deserve you, but I'm clearly still a work in progress." 

She shook her head slowly. "Okay, let's examine that for a moment," she responded. "First of all, I married you because I love you, Cas. If I hadn't wanted to marry you, I wouldn't have. And you're right, we've both been behaving like children, to a certain extent. Although, I will give you the crown for that particular title, if you want." She smiled. "And as far as being a work in progress, I think we can both say that. But I'm willing to work together if you are. Just please, do me a favour: The next time you feel like blurting something like that out, maybe count to ten, first. And then, just start with the good part. You know, the part about how you're always wrong, and I'm always right, and you love me more than anything in the world, and marrying me was the smartest thing you ever did in your life. You know, that part." She looked at him mischievously. 

Cas's eyes blurred. She was doing it again. Forgiving him. Gail saw his eyes cloud up, and now she reached out and touched his face. "Don't, Cas. It's OK. I don't want any more drama. Please," she said sincerely. He took her hand and kissed it, and then he pressed it to his heart, blinking back the tears. He swallowed hard, trying to force the lump in his throat to go away. 

"I'll yell at you and call you stupid for a few minutes, if it'll make you feel better," she quipped. 

"That actually would help," Cas said, affecting an earnest expression. 

Gail laughed, and when she did that, Cas gave her a genuine smile. His face lit up, and his eyes sparkled. He lived to make her happy. Impulsively, he leaned forward and kissed her. "I'm sorry; I just had to do that," Cas told her. "Now you can go ahead and yell at me, for however long you want." 

"I have a better idea," she said. She put her hands on either side of his head and brought it slowly towards hers. She looked into his eyes for a moment and then kissed him on the mouth. Then she released his head and put her arms around him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"I'm always wrong, and you're always right," Cas said softly, then he kissed her on the lips. "I love you more than anything, or anyone, in the world." Then he kissed her on the mouth again, holding the kiss a moment longer. "And, not only was marrying you the smartest thing I ever did, it's the smartest thing I will have ever done at any point in my existence," he told her, smiling gently. 

"Maybe I'll have all of that put onto an index card and laminated, so you can carry it around in your pocket at all times," she quipped. 

Cas pulled her close to him and kissed her again. This time he used his tongue to open her lips. She poked her tongue out to touch his, and his arms tightened around her. 

"Is this all right?" Cas asked her hesitantly. "I don't want to be too forward, if we're not finished with our talk yet." 

Gail smiled at him. "Sometimes, talking is overrated. Feel free to be as bold as you want." 

She was unbelievable. But if she had more to say to him, Cas knew that she would be saying it. Now, she was inviting him to love her, and he wanted to do that, very much. 

So he rose to his feet and brought her with him, kissing her again. Then he moved to the bed and took the flowers and the card from it and put them on the nightstand. Then he came back to where she stood, scooping her up in his arms. He laid her down on the bed. 

"I love you so much," he told her. He got on the bed with her and began to kiss her all over, starting with her face. Then he kissed her neck and swept her hair back from her face, whispering endearments in her ear. "Je t'aime, mon amour," Cas said softly. 

"You know, I was really starting to dislike Paris, but you're making me feel a little warmer towards it, now," Gail told him, smiling. 

Cas also smiled. He licked her ear, and then raised her top off over her head. He caressed her skin and nuzzled her breasts, kissing and licking them. Then he asked her to lay back against the pillows, and he undid her pants, sliding them off her hips. He looked at her for a moment, trembling. "No matter how many times we make love, I will never take it for granted," Cas told her, caressing her body lightly. "And I will never, ever, take your love for granted." 

He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, and his hand parted her legs. He stroked her slowly with one finger, and his tongue entered her mouth at the same time. Gail opened her legs further as she kissed him back, and she reached for him. 

"I don't think so," Cas said lightly. "You are first. You will always be first." He kissed her again, and she started to whimper against his mouth. "How do you want me?" he asked her in a low voice. 

"Do I have to choose?" she breathed. 

"No," he told her, smiling. "We've got an eternity." He moved his body down and began to lick her, because he knew that was what she liked the best. She put her hands on his head, making her sounds, and he pulled her close to his mouth as she cried out. 

"Mon ange," Cas murmured as he continued to make love to her. Once she'd regained her breath, Gail replied, "Je t'aime, mon mari." Cas smiled, and his hands squeezed her hips for a moment. It still excited him when she called him her husband, and he couldn't help but show it. He raised his body up and entered her, lifting her hips so that he could be even closer to her. He pushed forward eagerly, knowing by now that she wouldn't mind. In fact, she often exhorted him to go deeper, and faster. 

She wasn't doing that now, but she was saying his name, and her voice grew louder. When she exclaimed, "I love you so much!", Cas smiled again, and he felt both the physical and the emotional rush of loving her. He pushed forward one more time, and then laid on top of her, smoothing the hair back from her forehead and kissing her face. 

"I think I'm starting to warm to Paris a little bit more, now," Gail quipped, once she got her breath back. 

Cas laughed softly. He rolled off of her and cuddled her for a while. She told him about seeing Frank and Jody, and about Robbie's essay. Cas laughed again when Gail told him how proud Tommy was of Robbie, and the comment that Frank had made. 

"Maybe we have another budding journalist in the family," he remarked. Then he sighed. "But, you're right: something like that certainly gives you perspective. Every time we get frustrated, or discouraged, we can think of humans like Robbie, and remind ourselves of what we need to do to accomplish our mission. That gives me even more motivation, now." 

"Me, too," Gail told him. "That's why I wanted to tell you about it. I figured we could use a little morale boost. I'll tell Sam and Dean in the morning, too." 

Cas glanced at the clock. "It'll BE the morning, soon." He sighed again. "Our nights together go by much too quickly." 

"Yes, they do," Gail agreed. "So, we'd better make the most of it." She started to kiss his face softly as he smiled. He let her do that for a moment, and then he rolled over on top of her, kissing her with his tongue. 

"Can I ask you something?" she said shyly. 

"Yes, of course. Anything, my love," Cas told her, still kissing her. 

"I think I might want to..." she started to say, but then she stopped. As long as they'd been together, as intimate as they were, and she still couldn't say it. They hadn't done it for quite a while, and for quite a while she'd been reluctant to bring it up. But they were married now, and they were just about as close as they were ever going to get. 

"What is it?" he asked her. His voice was very soft now. "What do you want, Gail? Please tell me." 

"I think I might want you to turn me around," she answered. 

Cas stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes. "Do you mean..." he said, and she nodded. "Are you sure?" he asked her, prompting her to nod again. 

He kissed her once more, and then he helped turn her over. She raised her hips as he entered her from behind, moving gently. She was right; they hadn't done this for a while. He had been too wary of suggesting it, and apparently, so had she. There had been a time that he had enjoyed it, and not just as the Demon. But he had vowed that he would never do it again if she didn't want to. What they did together in the privacy of their own bedroom had to be something they would both enjoy, or he wanted no part of it. 

He lay on top of her, speaking into her ear. "Are you all right?" he asked her. "Do you feel all right?" 

"I'm fine, Cas. Don't worry about me. I'm fine," she assured him. 

So he rose up again and resumed, and he reached around and began to stroke her. She closed her eyes and went with the feeling. He started to move faster, and he heard her making her sounds. That encouraged him to let himself go, and he put his other hand on her hip and pulled her closer to meet him as he pushed forward. Then he groaned, and then he was still. 

He turned her over immediately. "Are you OK?" he asked her again.   
"I'm OK, Cas," she told him. 

"I like it better when I can see your face," Cas said. 

"So do I, usually," Gail responded, "but every once in a while, I kind of like it to be a bit different, too. And it's not the same as when you were the Demon, Cas. No pain, no bruises. No blood. See? Come here, sweetie. I love you." She reached for him, and he lay on top of her again, kissing her tenderly on the mouth. He supposed she was right. She wasn't in any pain, and she seemed happy enough. "I love you, Gail," he said, and he rolled off of her to cuddle with her once again. 

Chuck's fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails cut into his palms, drawing blood. He'd been sitting at his desk trying to come up with something, anything, on Lucifer. If he couldn't be a hero one way, maybe he could be one another way. But every time he tried to see the Devil, all he could see was two Angels. Cas and Gail. He'd quit watching them a while back because Cas had said it was disrespectful to Gail, and Chuck acknowledged that he'd kind of had a point there. They were married now, and what they did in the privacy of their Pope-blessed bed was no one's business but their own. Chuck had been starting to feel dirty about it, anyway. He was a nice guy now, not a perverted creep. So he'd stopped, and recently, he'd had his own sessions with Desiree to distract him. But now, he was becoming obsessed again. Gail was so cute, and she was so sweet to Cas. When Cas undressed her and she looked up at him so adoringly, Chuck pictured her looking at him that way. She had a beautiful body, too. Her curves were in all the right places, and Chuck was Cas, touching and kissing her all over, making her cry out. When she'd shyly suggested that Cas turn her over, Chuck had been a little surprised. He'd always thought that particular thing would be more pleasurable for the man, and that she had just gone along with it. But the fact that she was into it turned Chuck on even more. He could do everything with her, and to her, that Cas was doing. 

But then, the shock: After Cas had finished, Gail was talking to him about his having been a Demon, and she was talking about pain and bruises and blood. Saying that this was different from that time. What in the hell was she talking about? 

"I will never hurt you like that again," Cas said fervently. "Never. I'm glad you told me not to confess, Gail. I never want anyone else to know how horrible I was. I wish it had never happened." 

"I know, sweetie, I know," Gail replied, kissing his face. "Me too. But I know you'd never hurt me, Cas. That wasn't you, that was him." 

Chuck's mouth had dropped open now, and he sat at his desk watching them, just as clearly as if the two of them were right in front of him. Cas had hurt Gail badly, because he had been a Demon at some point? When the hell had that happened? And if it had, what on earth was she doing married to him, and laying there with him now? 

Chuck's palms were really starting to hurt. He looked down, and the blood from the crescent-shaped cuts his nails had made was dripping on the pad of paper he'd taken out to record any visions he might have. So, that was it. He knew there was something fishy going on; he'd known it for a while now. Call it Prophet's intuition, or something. But how could Chuck not have known about anything as huge as what the couple were talking about now? 

Which begged the question: Who else knew about this? Anyone? Or were they all as much in the dark as he was about it, or had been, until now? There was no way that anyone in their circle could know about this; everyone had been far too friendly to Cas for that to be possible. Especially his best buddies, the Winchesters. Unless they were covering up for him, of course. Chuck could see that as being a possibility. And poor Gail was enabling Cas, too. Laying there with him, assuring him that everything was OK. But it wasn't OK, not if what Chuck was hearing was true. 

His head continued to spin with the questions. When had this happened? How badly had he hurt Gail? And, was it still going on? It would seem that it wasn't, just from the way that they were acting and speaking to each other now. But, who knew what really went on behind closed doors? Chuck thought about that, but now the hex bag in the sculpture was doing his thinking for him, and by the time that Cas and Gail resumed their lovemaking, he'd pretty much convinced himself that Cas was abusing Gail on a regular basis, and that nobody knew. 

The final question, and perhaps the most important one, was: What exactly was Chuck going to do about it? 

Cas and Gail had cuddled some more, and now they were talking about the party. 

"It's a shame that wasn't a party with our family and friends," Gail said. "Then, it would have been a lot of fun. We could have had a Best Costume competition. I'm trying to visualize Sam and Dean and Frank in real costumes." 

"I think that Sam and Dean and you and I wore the most convincing costumes there tonight," Cas said, a bit stiffly. 

Gail sighed. "I know, Cas. But I'll tell you something: We're going to be as convincing as we need to be until we get those guys. I don't care what it takes, they have to be taken out of the equasion. Every time I think about what they might be planning, the blood turns to ice in my veins." 

He nodded, pulling her close to him. "I know. I feel the same way," Cas responded. He smiled grimly. "I can't wait until we go with Henri to the police and have them all arrested. But, how are you going to feel if Lise is arrested, as well? I know you have taken a liking to her." 

Gail frowned. "If she deserves to be arrested, I'll be OK with it. But I have the feeling that she's just going along with this stuff to please Etienne. It doesn't matter, though, really. At least they'd be separated, then. Then maybe she can figure out who she really is, instead of who he wants her to be. And he'll have no choice but to keep his fists to himself." 

"Is it as bad as all that, do you think?" Cas asked her. Now he was frowning, too. 

"I don't think, Cas, I know," Gail replied. "She told me so, when we had our little chat in the bathroom. That's why she's gravitating towards me. She thinks we're domestic abuse buddies." 

Cas winced, but said nothing. That was a sensitive subject for him, and he knew that it was for Gail, as well. 

But she was mad now, and she was warming to her subject. "That's another reason we've got to lock up these bastards, Cas. I'm pretty sure Etienne isn't the only one of them who behaves that way. We've just got to get in there and get enough on them so the police will have no choice but to arrest them all. I don't care what it takes. I'll serve food and drinks. I'll get down on my hands and knees and clean their floors. I'll get you to punch me in the face, if that's what it takes," she fumed. "Anything." 

Cas tilted her face up to look at his. "Don't say that, Gail. Please. Don't ever say that." 

She had upset him now. "I was just making a point, Cas," she said softly. 

He looked distressed. "I'm aware, but I would never do that. Never," he said emphatically. 

"Not even if it meant that we would succeed in our mission if you did?" she asked him, curious. 

Cas sat up straight, appalled. "No! That will never happen! We can act like them, but we will never be like them!" he exclaimed. He looked into her eyes. "I will never be like them, Gail. Not ever. You have my word." 

Tears were pooling in his eyes now, and she felt bad. Tonight's events had clearly brought back a lot of stuff for both of them, and she supposed she'd been testing him, in a way. But even though he played his part very well when they were with the Nazi group, there wasn't a trace of cruelty or meanness in him, especially not towards her. Gail could plainly see that. And she was the one who kept preaching that they had to put all of that behind them, wasn't she? 

She sat up, too, and touched his face with both hands. "I know, Cas. I know. It's OK. I believe you," she told him. 

He put his hands on top of hers, holding them to his face for a moment. She was always comforting him, and he appreciated that. He appreciated her. 

"I love you so much, Gail," he told her, taking each of her hands away from his face and kissing them tenderly. 

"I love you too, Cas," she said softly. "Ma cherie. Mon mari." 

He kissed her on the mouth. "Ma raison de vivre," he murmured. 

Gail smiled through the kiss. He was her reason for living, too. That was why she'd had to forgive him. Why she would keep on forgiving him, if he needed her to. The more time that passed, the fainter the scars would get, until one day, they would hardly be there anymore. She was sure of it. But these Tablet missions were certainly no picnic; at least, two out of the three hadn't been. 

"I wish all of these stupid Tablets were as easy to obtain as the one that you and I got," she said to Cas. 

"That was the best mission I've ever been on," he responded, smiling. His arms went around her waist and he gave her a squeeze. "I could do that one over and over again, all day long." 

"Me, too," Gail agreed, answering his smile. She caressed his back and his shoulders. "I could listen to you quoting your love poems to me for an eternity." She kissed him on the mouth, and she poked her tongue out to lick his lips. 

"And I would love to do that," Cas told her. His breathing became ragged as he began to caress her body. "There's only one problem." 

"What's that?" Gail asked him. 

He opened her lips with his tongue and kissed her like that for a minute. Then he laid her down again. "If I did that, I wouldn't be able to do this," he said, and he moved down her body, opening her legs. He began to lick her there as he wound his arms around her thighs, pulling her closer to him. 

Gail began to whimper, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Then she opened them again, because she wanted to look at him. She watched him loving her, and Cas's eyes shifted upwards, as if sensing her gaze. He smiled, and then he lifted her legs, so that he was able to continue what he was doing and watch her at the same time. Then he said, "Please look at me, Gail. I want you to see how much I love you. Let me show you." He resumed what he'd been doing, and his blue eyes gazed into her brown ones. He sped up his motion, and she cried out immediately. His eyes began to sparkle, and he hugged her legs tighter. 

"Cas," she said breathlessly. He was making her feel so good. Normally, she would have closed her eyes by now, lost in the feeling. But right now, the fact that they were looking at each other made the feeling more intense. His eyes were a beautiful bright blue now, and she could see him smiling as he used his tongue on her. He gave her legs another squeeze, then he moved away from her slightly. Just the tip of his tongue was touching her now. 

Gail knew what he was doing; he was pausing to make the experience more intense for her. But he really didn't need to do that right now. She was so excited by what he was doing, and the way he was doing it, that she was almost afraid. "Cas, please," she said in a shaky voice. 

His brow furrowed. "I thought you liked it when I stop for a moment," he said softly. "I thought it made it more pleasurable for you when I resumed." 

"If this becomes any more pleasurable for me, we're going to have to have the room soundproofed," she quipped, smiling. 

He smiled too, and then he brought her close to his mouth again, licking her enthusiastically. She cried out again, and then she had to close her eyes because it was good, it was so good. She told him how much she loved him, writhing under him while he held her there so that he could stay in the right spot. She lost her words as he continued to love her with his mouth and his tongue, and he smiled as he watched the expression of ecstasy on her face. This was what he lived for, to make her happy. He would just have to make sure he lived up to his vows outside of the bedroom, as well as in it. He would love her, protect her, and take care of her, no matter what. When Cas had called Gail his reason for living, he had truly meant it. 

When Gail finally calmed down and became still, Cas moved his body back up and held her. She was clinging to him, trying to regain her breath. He kissed her softly on the forehead and said, "You are the most important person in my life, and you always will be. I promise you that I will do whatever I can to demonstrate that to you, Gail. And I will do whatever it takes to protect you. Whatever it takes." 

She snuggled against him, smiling. Cas was so sweet, so loving. It never occurred to her to wonder just how far her husband would be willing to go to keep that promise. 

Chuck missed that last, loving exchange between the couple. He'd been so agitated over what he'd seen and heard that he'd shut off his mind abruptly, just as one would slam a door. 

Which was unfortunate, because Lucifer had opened up a channel for communication now. He wasn't fool enough to open up everything, of course. Just one channel. But he thought it should be enough. Bobby must have the Prophets working overtime trying to find him. So, Lucifer sent out a beacon. Strong enough to be picked up on by a Prophet, but much too wimpy to tickle the eardrum of an Original. If either Chuck or young Kevin had their ears on, they would receive a message from Lucifer himself, giving them his location. They could come and get him, if they were man enough. 

Both Kevin and Ethan yearned to be heroes, Lucifer knew, and that fact alone might have been enticement enough for them to take the risk. But just in case Ethan decided to go by the book, or Kevin chickened out, Lucifer had made an addendum to the message: If either Angel were to bring anyone else, they would be killed immediately. But if Kevin and Ethan showed up together, and they were able to take him down, he would bow to their superiority and come quietly. 

So Chuck missed the message, which was doubly unfortunate, because he could have warned the other two Musketeers that Lucifer was a notorious cheat. Chuck would probably have been able to talk them out of going, or at the very least, Chuck would have never let them go there alone. He would have brought all the backup he could find. Chuck would have even gone to the crossroads and gotten Crowley, if he'd had to. And even though Chuck was currently enraged at Cas, he would have made sure Cas was there, too. Getting Lucifer was still the priority; anything else could be sorted out after that. And, if Lucifer were to wave his hand and obliterate Cas while they were fighting, well...at least the Demon bastard would die with his saintly reputation intact. It's not like Chuck hadn't had prior experience dealing with a grief-stricken Gail. He would be happy to do that again. 

That would have been Chuck's thought process going in, but Chuck never got the message. Kevin did, though, and his pulse raced with excitement. He ran to Ethan's office and told him about it. 

Ethan looked at his friend, cocking an eyebrow. He may be young, but he wasn't stupid. "Oh, he'll just come quietly, will he?" Ethan said scornfully. "Riiight. You can't possibly believe that, Kevin." 

Kevin frowned. "I'm not saying that I do, but don't we have to try to take him down, anyway? You're the head of Law Enforcement, and I'm...well, OK, I'm not that great of a fighter. But still, I'm way better than I used to be." 

Ethan frowned. Just him and Kevin? Every logical bone in his body told him the idea was ridiculous. But Lucifer had said he would kill anyone else they brought, and Ethan believed him. He couldn't be responsible for the deaths of any one of their friends; the murders of his young recruits at the mansion had hit him hard. 

Still, he shook his head. "It's a trap, Kevin. Why on earth would he send out a message like that? He means to kidnap us or kill us." 

"What would he want to kidnap us for, Ethan?" Kevin asked his friend quizzically, then he held up his hand when Ethan opened his mouth to answer. "And don't say to hold us for ransom. He's telling us to come alone. If he was going to kidnap us to get one of the big guys to come, he'd just let us bring them with us, wouldn't he?" 

Ethan thought about that. He actually couldn't fault his friend's logic there. 

Kevin continued: "And as far as killing us goes, well, this is Lucifer we're talking about. When Bobby asked us to be designates, he didn't sugar-coat the danger, did he? My Mom's already been a martyr to that bastard. I guess there are way worse reasons to die. I can hear her voice in my head, telling me that if I want to be a man, I have to act like one. And she would be right, Ethan. She wasn't afraid to stand up to him." 

Yeah, and look where that had gotten her, Ethan thought. A broken neck and a one-way ticket to a mysterious realm that none of them knew anything about, separated from Kevin and her friends. But then again, she was still in there pitching, wasn't she? Bless Linda; she was doing more as a dead person than most of them who were still here were doing. 

Ethan sighed. "I get your point, Kevin, but this is the Devil we're talking about. The Alpha Demon. We don't know if our Demon knives would even hurt him, and how the hell are we even going to get close enough..." His voice trailed off. Ethan had just thought of something. He wondered if that special gun was still in the bunker, and if Sam had had the chance to make any pentagram bullets for it. When they'd gotten back from the mansion, Ethan had come straight to Heaven, so they had never had that conversation. As far as Ethan knew, the gun should work on Lucifer. Bobby had insisted that Ethan take a bit of time off after the murders of his men, and Sam and Dean, Cas and Gail had gone directly to Paris. Ethan had needed the time off, though. He'd never been responsible for others in that way before, and he'd been depressed after that incident, blaming himself. He was better now, and eager to rejoin the fight. Could that gun give them the advantage? Bobby had advised that Dean had been unable to kill Lucifer with it, but he'd only had a very limited number of what Ethan believed to be pentagram bullets in it at the time. If Ethan were to get his hands on that gun and pump Lucifer full of pentagram bullets, could that possibly be the answer? 

He rose from his chair. "Let's go to the bunker." 

"I think your story's great, Robbie," Becky enthused, as the young boy beamed with pride. 

And she did, too. There was only one problem with it. She was barely in it. He'd mentioned her by name as one of his Aunts because he'd named them all, probably not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings by leaving them out. But while the rest of them had been written about in glowing terms and given all kinds of wonderful, heroic characteristics, Robbie had only described Becky as pretty, and nice. 

Becky sighed. She guessed that was all she was, really. She was supposed to be part of the team, yet she was back in her boring job in Heaven now, and she never saw anybody any more. She never should have broken up with Kevin. Now everybody was mad at her for hurting his feelings, and nobody talked to her or came to see her any more. 

She'd been so excited when Bobby had stopped by her cubicle this morning. He'd been so kind to her, just like a father, and she had the feeling she'd really let him down. But she couldn't help how she felt, could she? Still, she could have handled it a lot better. Becky knew that she came across to people as dumb and immature, and truthfully, she knew she was, sometimes. She knew that. But she had loved having so many friends, and she'd thought that being a member of an elite group like that would help make her stronger and smarter, like Gail, or Jody. Or poor Linda. Now Becky felt like a real B-word. Kevin's mom was dead, killed by Lucifer, and Becky had broken his heart. No wonder nobody wanted to be her friend any more. 

But here was Bobby now, and he was asking her for a favour. Could she go down to the bunker and babysit with Robbie for a couple of hours? Apparently, the boy's teacher wanted to talk to his parents about a serious matter, and Frank and Jody wanted Barry and Tommy to go with them to the meeting. The two men had been equal parents to Robbie when Frank and Jody had been away, and they would likely be pressed into service again, if Frank and Jody had to go back on the road. They had just as much of a right to know what was going on with the boy, as they shouldered half of the responsibility for his upbringing right now. 

So could Becky watch Robbie for a bit? Bobby would really appreciate it, and so would their human friends. 

"Sure, Bobby, I'd be glad to," Becky replied, shutting off her computer. She sprung out of her chair and walked around her desk, smiling at him. 

Bobby was happy to see Becky looking so eager to help. Truthfully, he HAD been a little disappointed with Becky. He'd given her a lot of leeway early on, but truth be told, she wasn't much of an asset to the team. So she'd been stationed in the safety of the bunker for a while, but Sam had reported that she seemed a lot more interested in talking and watching TV than in doing research. Besides, she was kind of creeping Sam out. Whatever he'd been doing, he had looked up to see Becky's eyes on him. Bobby had shrugged it off. Becky was a member of the team, and Sam would just have to suck it up. There were a lot worse things than being stared at. But then Gail had been attacked, and since she'd had to stay at the bunker to recuperate, Bobby had decided to try Becky out in the field. He had paired her with his strongest Angel, Cas, and hoped for the best. And she had survived, even helping out in the Demon fight in Detroit, but Cas had told Bobby in confidence that Becky was more of a liability than an asset when it came to a fight. So when they had put their heads together to work out who they wanted to bring on the first Tablet quest, Becky was left off the list. And then, when she'd so callously broken up with Kevin, she had disappointed Bobby yet again. He didn't usually get involved in his friends' personal issues, or at least, he tried very hard not to. But Bobby had feelings too, and he'd felt for young Kevin then. The young Angel had lost his mother and his girlfriend at practically the same time, and it had been very hard on him. Bobby may not be God any more, but he still felt like a father to many of their group, and part of him had suffered right along with Kevin. 

But once Bobby had gotten back from his recent run-in with Lucifer and worked through his depression a little, he had decided that he'd been going about things the wrong way. Even though he didn't have God's powers any more, Bobby's ass was still in His chair, and he needed to wake up and smell the coffee. Bobby was always giving others holy hell about feeling sorry for themselves; meanwhile, he'd been wallowing in the self-pity pool himself. Like it or not, he was an authority figure to all of the Angels, except maybe for Cas. Most of the Angels in Heaven still thought of him as God, and he needed to step up to the plate for them. So while Cas and Gail and the boys were off in Europe, doing their thing, Bobby needed to be here, doing his. And the first thing on his agenda would be to try to bring the team back together, if he could. Bobby was a big believer in the credo "United We Stand, Divided We Fall". Lucifer was probably very happy to see the team fragmented like they had been. To be fair, a number of them had been dealing with some stuff, himself included. But Bobby decided it was time to get their act together. When the four of them got back from Paris with the Purgatory Tablet, Bobby was going to insist that they all stay united. 

He could have asked one of the male Angels to stay with Robbie, but this had been the perfect opportunity to extend the olive branch to Becky, to bring her back into the fold. Bobby still thought that there could be more to Becky than the bubble-headed, giggly facade she exhibited. They had more or less abandoned the Revelation theories, but maybe they had been hasty, Bobby thought. There had to be a reason that Becky was one of the designated Angels. 

So Bobby had brought Becky down to the bunker, and their human friends had been cordial to her, thanking her for helping out. Then Bobby had accompanied the humans to the school, posing as Robbie's grandfather, which he wryly supposed wasn't too far from the truth. The boy still called him Grandpa God sometimes, and that never failed to make Bobby smile, no matter how low a day he was having. Frank had given Bobby a bit of a look when he'd insisted on accompanying the four of them, but Jody had told Bobby that he was welcome to come with them, and she'd teased him about posing as Robbie's grandfather. 

"A few years ago when you were alive, you asked me out on a date," Jody had said, grinning. "Now you're Robbie's grandfather, which would more or less make you my Dad." 

"You think that's pretty funny, don't you?" Bobby had grumbled. 

"No, I don't," she'd replied, and as he had nodded, about to agree that it wasn't funny at all, Jody had added, "I think it's hilarious!" 

Bobby had scowled while all the others had grinned, and then they had left for the school together, leaving Becky and Robbie alone in the bunker. The Pope's golden candlestick was there in its place of honour, making the bunker the safest place in the known universe, so Bobby was sure they would be all right. But he'd also told Becky to call him via Angel Radio, or even on his cell phone, if she had any concerns about their safety. She'd assured him that they would be fine. 

Now Robbie was setting up a board game, and Becky was looking around the room. It was kind of strange that they were the only two here; every time she'd been here before, the place had been bustling with people. She wished Sam was here. Even though Becky regretted the way she'd ended it with Kevin, her feelings for Sam had not changed one bit. She began to fantasize that she and Sam were married, and that Robbie was their son. He and Dean were out on a Hunt; maybe Cas and Gail were with them. Then they'd all come back here, and Becky would have dinner ready. She would chat with Cas and Gail while Sam and Dean and Robbie washed up, and then they would all sit around the table, talking and laughing. Then later, Sam and Becky would retreat to their room, and they wouldn't come out until late the next morning. Becky felt a flush creep up to her cheeks as she thought about what she and Sam would be doing behind closed doors. Angels might not visibly blush, but the room had gotten awfully warm all of a sudden. 

"Becky! What are you doing here?" A voice from behind her. 

Robbie jumped off his chair. "Uncle Ethan! Uncle Kevin!" he exclaimed. 

Becky turned around in her chair. "What am I doing here? "What are you guys doing here?" she countered. 

"We're here to get something," Ethan replied evasively. He looked at Kevin. "You can stay here. I know what it looks like. I'll be right back." He headed down the hall towards the weapons room. 

Kevin and Becky looked at each other, then they looked away from each other. Robbie looked from one Angel to the other, confused. Why weren't they talking? They looked mad. 

"Uncle Kevin! Do you want to play a game with us?" Robbie asked the young Angel, tugging on the leg of his pants. 

"Later, Robbie. I'm busy," Kevin said absently, still avoiding Becky's gaze. 

"But you're just standing there!" Robbie protested. 

"It's OK, Robbie, I'm going to play with you in just a minute," Becky told the child. "Finish setting up the game." Then she looked directly at Kevin. If her vow to try to be more mature had meant anything, she should start right now. "How've you been, Kevin?" Becky asked him. 

Kevin sighed. He could do this one of two ways. He could get mad and ask her what the hell she cared, or he could be grown up about it. But he didn't really want to yell at Becky. He was still hurt that she had dumped him, but he was on his way to have a confrontation with the Devil, and he wanted to focus on that. If he was going to die, he didn't want the last words he'd ever spoken to her to be mean ones. 

"I'm OK, Becky," he told her. "How are you?" 

Good. He wasn't yelling at her. That was a start. "I'm OK," she told him. They were quiet for another moment, and then she blurted out, "I'm sorry, Kevin. I'm sorry I was so mean to you." 

Kevin made a face. "That's OK, Becky." 

"No, it's not," she said, agitated. "I wasn't very nice. I'm so sorry about your mom, Kevin." 

Robbie glanced up at that, but he already knew what was going on. Aunt Becky had broken up with Uncle Kevin because she liked Robbie's Uncle Sam better. Uncle Sam! He'd never thought of that before; it was pretty funny. Robbie told himself he would have to say that to his Dad when he got back. Frank liked funny jokes, and so did Robbie's Aunt Gail. He hoped they'd all be back here soon. He liked it when they were all here together, laughing and joking around. Robbie realized he was spoiled, compared to his classmates. He had four parents, and all of those Aunts and Uncles, and his Grandpa. But Aunt Becky had just mentioned his other Aunt, Linda, and that was very sad. Nobody had ever sat down with Robbie and told him, but they hadn't had to: he knew that Lucifer had killed Aunt Linda, and that Uncle Kevin was in mourning for his mom. Robbie felt bad for him. He could understand how Kevin felt, of course, because he had lost his own mother. But Robbie's mother was just gone, as opposed to Kevin's mother, who was in some weird place called the Netherworld. And Kevin could still talk to his mom if he went to Quinn's house. Quinn was a "medium", although what her shirt size had to do with anything, Robbie didn't know. Due to his special ability, Robbie knew a lot more than he had any business knowing, but he was still a child, and some concepts were beyond him yet. 

But he understood why Uncle Kevin and Aunt Becky were so awkward around each other now, so he kept quiet as Kevin nodded, acknowledging Becky's condolences. "Yeah, so am I," he said. "I miss her a lot. But she seems OK where she is now, and she's been helping us." 

"Do you know what's going on?" Becky asked him. "I'm kind of out of the loop." She gave him a wry smile. "If it makes you feel any better, nobody talks to me anymore." 

Kevin approached the table, shaking his head. "It doesn't make me feel better. It's OK, Becky. I don't hate you, or anything. If you want, I'll talk to Bobby. There's no reason for them to be so mean to you, not if it's on my account. I forgive you." 

She felt a flash of annoyance at that. So, he forgave her. Wow. How generous of him. She hadn't been asking for his forgiveness. She couldn't help it that she loved Sam, not Kevin. But she just let that go. That was what mature people did, right? Besides, if she picked another fight with Kevin, she'd probably never see the inside of this bunker or Sam ever again. 

Instead, she said, "So, what ARE you and Ethan doing here?" 

Kevin was looking at her. He actually did want to tell her. He wanted Becky to know how brave he was being. But he glanced down at Robbie now. "I shouldn't really say, Becky." 

In a rare moment of insight, Becky connected the dots. "Robbie, can you run to the kitchen and put your story back on the fridge?" she asked the child. 

The boy looked up at her. "I'm not tall enough," he said. 

Becky let out a frustrated breath. "Then, get a soda from the fridge," she said impatiently. 

Robbie jumped up from his seated position on the floor. He had been down there sorting out the game pieces. Soda, in the morning? He could definitely go for that. None of his parents would ever let him do that. He ran down the hallway towards the kitchen as Becky looked at Kevin expectantly. 

He told her about the message from Lucifer, and he was just finishing up, telling her what his and Ethan's plan was when Ethan came back out to the library area. He'd overheard, and he frowned at Kevin. 

"I thought we agreed not to tell anyone what we were doing," Ethan chided him. 

Kevin thought fast. "I thought it might not be a bad idea to tell one person, just in case," he responded. Then he looked at Becky. "But don't tell anyone unless we send you an SOS. Remember what I told you: he said if we bring one of the other guys, he'll kill them." 

Ethan frowned again, but he supposed it couldn't hurt for one other person to know where they were going, just in case. So he waited while Kevin jotted down the address and gave it to Becky. 

"Did you get it?" Kevin asked his friend. 

Ethan gave him a grim smile. "Yeah, I did, and I've got a box of bullets in my pocket, too. Sam was really busy. I think this is going to work, Kevin. If you can distract him for a minute, I can pump him full of these. They may not kill him, but I'm pretty sure they'll put him down. Then, when he's hurting, we'll put the handcuffs on him and call Bobby. Maybe Bobby will want to hold him in Heaven's prison until we can get all of the Tablets and lock him up for good." 

This all sounded great to Kevin and Becky, and by the time Robbie ran back into the room with his soda, they were all looking forward to the victory party. "We'll see you soon," they promised Becky, and then they winked out of the bunker. 

Becky put the piece of paper with Lucifer's address in her pocket, and then she got down on the floor with Robbie to play his game with him. But she started thinking about Kevin and Ethan, and soon she became distracted. She couldn't really see a flaw in Ethan's plan, but she was starting to feel guilty about just sitting here playing a board game while the two of them were out there, putting their lives on the line. Maybe she should call Bobby anyway, or Cas, and let them know. But Ethan and Kevin had said that Lucifer was going to kill any other man who showed up there, and Becky couldn't have that on her conscience. 

Maybe somebody was trying to tell her something. If Becky hoped to get back on the team, maybe she needed to show them that she was worthy of inclusion. They hadn't invited her to any of the exotic locations they'd gone to in search of the Tablets, because she'd been next to useless up to this point. 

So when Bobby and the humans got back from Robbie's school, Becky told Bobby she had a lot of work to do back at the office, and she winked herself out of the bunker. But she'd surreptitiously checked the address on the piece of paper Kevin had given her, first. 

"Your teacher tells us you got into a fight at school yesterday," Jody said to Robbie, using her sternest voice. "Mind telling us why?" 

Robbie hung his head. He'd been afraid that was why the teacher had asked to see his parents. "Because Sean said there's no such things as Angels," he replied in a subdued voice. 

The adults were trying not to smile. The teacher had told them that she wasn't sure what the fight had been about, or who had started it, and she'd assured them all that she would be talking to Sean's parents, as well. She had been bemused to see so many people show up. Only if she was very lucky would she get both parents to show up when she called the home to invite them to the school to discuss their child. Usually, it would be only one; and not to be sexist, but it was usually the mother. If the parents of the child were still together, which was regrettably all too rare these days, most of the time both of the parents worked outside the home, and it was normally the mother who ended up rearranging her schedule. All too often, the parents were divorced, and there were step-parents and blended families involved. But she had never seen anything quite like this. A mother and a father, two gay dads, and a grandfather. All she needed was the partridge in the pear tree, she'd thought, amusing herself. But she'd gone on to tell them all very sternly that the school had a Zero Tolerance policy when it came to violence of any sort. However, the incident had not been all that serious, so they had decided to look the other way for a first offense, as long as Robbie was given a serious talking-to. But if it happened again, he would have to be suspended. 

But then, because all of them were frowning at that point, she'd gone on to assure them that she thought that Robbie was a delightful boy with a vivid imagination, and he was very respectful of all of his teachers at the school. Sometimes schoolyard disagreements happened, especially between pre-pubescent boys. But it could not happen again. 

They had driven to the school, and on the drive back, all five of them had discussed the issue. Because of who they were and what their lives were like, neither Bobby, Frank or Jody had been too concerned about the one incident. 

"Hell, I used to get into a dust-up every few days," Bobby had said to the others. Barry and Tommy had looked at him, startled. It was strange to hear the man they still thought of as God talking like that. Bobby saw them looking and he shrugged. "Dysfunctional family. I know, boo hoo. Cry me a river," he said grumpily. "One night, I'll come down, and we'll all have drinks and share. I'm sure everyone's got their stories." 

"I used to get into it once in a while, too," Frank weighed in. "Just something about boys at a certain age, I guess." He looked at Jody. "I guess girls are different." 

"We're smarter, generally," she said, smirking. "But actually, I was bullied by another girl when I was around Robbie's age. We didn't have any Zero Tolerance or Pink Shirt campaigns back then. And if you told a teacher, or one of your parents, you'd just get beat up worse. So, you had no choice but to handle it yourself." 

As Bobby and Frank were nodding, Tommy asked her, "So how DID you handle it?" 

"I waited till she came out of the school the day before Christmas holidays and just clocked her one," Jody told the men, smiling at the memory. "I figured I would have the entire break to recuperate, if she sent me to the hospital. But I'd just had it. So I made the first shot count, and when she got up, she just ran off, crying. And she never bothered me again, after that." 

"Is it any wonder I love this woman so much?" Frank said, grinning widely. He put his hand on her leg and gave it an affectionate squeeze. 

"Both hands on the wheel, Mister," Jody said to him, but she was smiling, too. 

"I used to get into fights in high school, for obvious reasons," Tommy piped up. 

"Yeah, a lot of people don't like reporters," Frank quipped. 

Tommy smiled, rolling his eyes. Frank's sense of humour was a bit of an acquired taste, but now that they'd spent a fair amount of time together, Tommy realized he really liked Gail's brother. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Frank and Gail weren't actually related by blood; they were both so fast with the quips. "Yes, Frank," Tommy retorted good-naturedly. "It had absolutely nothing to do with my being gay." 

"Well, I never got into fights," Barry told everyone. "I ran away from confrontations. That's why I didn't socialize a lot when I was younger." 

"Hey, what do you know?" Frank said, still smiling. "Tommy's Cas, and Barry is Gail!" 

They had all laughed at that, even Bobby. That got Jody thinking about Gail. She hoped her sister-in-law was bearing up all right. Hopefully, they would bring the Tablet back soon. She missed Sam and Dean, too. It would be nice to have them all back home again. 

So when they'd all gotten back to the bunker and Robbie confessed to them the reason for the fight, they could all understand why Robbie had been so upset. 

"You didn't tell him that half your family were Angels, did you, Son?" Bobby asked Robbie. There was likely nothing to worry about, but depending on what Robbie had said, a little damage control might be in order. 

"No, I didn't, even though I wanted to," Robbie said proudly. "I felt like it, but then I remembered what Uncle Cas said to me about self-control. He said that whenever something makes him mad, he tries to count to ten and turn the other cheek." 

Frank had to avert his face so Robbie wouldn't see him smirking. Since when? If Cas had ever done that, Frank had never seen any evidence of it. Crowley would be delighted to hear that, if that was Cas's new philosophy. Frank's brother-in-law had obviously come down with a serious case of "Do as I say, not as I do". 

Bobby was also amused. "Turn the other cheek"? Yeah, right. "Arm the other hand" would be more like it, when it came to Cas. But he applauded Cas for trying to instill some morals into the boy. He'd tried to do the same with Sam and Dean all their lives, and Bobby thought he had done a fair job. Although, like Robbie, they'd already had two strikes against them going in. 

Robbie frowned. "So I started to walk away. But Sean grabbed me, and he said he heard me talking to Justin about my Mom being an Angel." 

Bobby looked sharply at the child. "Did you say that, Robbie?" 

Robbie looked agitated now. "Yeah, but I figured it was OK to say that, because she's dead! That's what people say, isn't it? That when people die, they become Angels? And isn't that what my Mom was?" 

The adults all looked at each other, bemused. They couldn't fault Robbie's logic there. 

"So what happened then?" Tommy prompted the child. 

"Then he said I was a liar, because there were no such things as Angels, or God," Robbie replied. "I told him I wasn't lying. Lying is one of the worst things you can do, especially if it's about those kinds of things. And then he called my Mom a terrible word, so then I punched him. Uncle Cas taught me that, too." 

Frank broke into a grin now. He couldn't help it. "Up top," he said to Robbie, holding up his hand for a high-five. 

As Robbie slapped Frank's hand, Jody sat back in her chair. What a dilemma. On the one hand, she couldn't condone what Robbie had done. The school wasn't kidding about their Zero Tolerance policy, and it wouldn't do for Robbie to get suspended from school so soon after he'd just started it. And she didn't want him to think that a punch in the face was the appropriate response every time he heard an insult or a slight. But on the other hand, Cas was trying to teach Robbie a higher moral code that Jody could appreciate. And it was really cruel for this kid Sean to be talking smack about another kid's dead mother. Where was the respect in kids these days? It was too bad that she wasn't an officer anymore; she'd put on her uniform and pay Sean a little visit. Invite him to call her the same name he'd called poor dead Felicia. Did young kids still believe police officers when threatened with jail these days, or were they just so jaded that they didn't give a damn about authority figures anymore? 

"OK, young man, listen to me," Jody said sternly to Robbie. "No more fighting. I don't care what anybody says or does. If you have a problem with one of the other kids, you tell one of us." She gestured to the four men and herself. "Or any one of your Aunts and Uncles." 

Maybe not Uncle Cas, though, Frank thought, or next thing they knew, Robbie would be carrying a collapsible blade around school in his pencil case. Damn, he wished Gail were here. He should really be writing these down. 

"You won't be punching anyone any more, or we'll take your computer away," Jody said to Robbie. He looked at her, wide-eyed. That was the worst punishment she could possibly threaten him with. Now that his creative side had been encouraged, he used it to do his assignments for school, but mostly, to write his stories. That was the most important thing to the boy right now. Jody knew that, of course, so she knew the threat would be effective. 

"OK, Mom. I'm sorry," Robbie said quietly. "I won't do it again. I'll exercise self-control. I promise." He meant what he was saying. He liked school, and he didn't want his parents to be mad at him, or his teachers, either. 

"Good. See that you do," Jody said. Then she smiled. "Now, help yourself to a great big bowl of ice cream." 

Robbie looked at her for a moment, and then he looked at the men. They were all smiling at him now. The boy was a little confused. They were all telling him that punching another guy was wrong. Even Uncle Cas had told him that it was better to turn the other cheek. But they all looked really happy that he had done it, too, and Uncle Cas had also told him that it was unacceptable for a guy to call a woman by a bad name. And Sean had made Robbie mad, it was as simple as that. Robbie knew he had it really good here with everybody being so nice to him, but he was still a child, and sometimes Robbie still missed his original Mom so much it was like a physical ache. Sean should never have said what he'd said about Robbie's Mom. If Robbie wanted to grow up like his parents, and his Aunts and Uncles, he also had to stand up for what was right. He'd do it again, too. But he'd better not tell anyone that. It was still strange to him, though. As a young boy, he was still trying to learn about such complex things as contradictions and strong emotions, and he was confused by the opposing messages he was receiving now. He sensed that underneath it all, they were very proud of him, even though they'd told him that what he'd done was wrong. And Robbie knew that his Uncle Cas punched guys a lot, and he used weapons on them, too. He would have to think about all of that while he was eating his ice cream. 

Robbie ran around the table and hugged each one of them in turn, and then he ran to the kitchen to get his ice cream. Wow. Ice cream and soda, all in one day. Maybe he should mess up more often. 

Frank was looking at Jody with one eyebrow raised. "Big bowl of ice cream, huh?" he asked her. 

Jody shrugged. "Call it a blow for womens' rights." 

"Was that a pun I just heard?" Frank said, smirking. 

"A happy accident," Jody replied. She sighed, looking at the men. "I know, we're sending him mixed messages, aren't we? But look at who we all are, and the kind of lives we lead. It's complicated." 

"Hey, we can only do the best that we can do," Tommy said. "For the record, I think we're all doing a pretty good job with him." 

"I agree," Frank said, putting his arm around Jody and giving her a squeeze. He smiled. "Though I might have to have a talk with Uncle Cas when he gets back. We don't want Robbie running around slapping other kids in the face with a glove. 'Pistols, at dawn'. Can you imagine? Lord help us if any of those kids ever insults Aunt Gail." 

They all laughed, and Bobby went back up to Heaven, smiling widely. All in all, a good day. 

Gail was stretched out on her side. Her eyes were closed, and she was smiling. Cas was spooning her, caressing her skin. They had talked and cuddled for a while, sorting out all of the residual feelings they had, and she felt refreshed now. She'd rolled over after their talk, assuring him that she wasn't angry, she just wanted to switch her position. So he had pressed his body against hers, talking softly to her, and now he was moving down her body. He kissed her hip bone, and then he licked it. 

She laughed softly. "That's different," she remarked lightly. 

"You seem to like a little variety once in a while," he said, smiling. His hand was in-between her legs now, parting them, and he was nuzzling her as his fingers explored her. 

Gail sighed contentedly, opening her legs wider for him. "I like everything you do," she told him. 

Cas's hand sped up, and Gail started to squirm. He lifted his head from her hip and kissed her neck, then he licked her ear. "I love you," he murmured. 

Boy, did he ever, Gail thought. After the rocky start that it had had, this had turned out to be a wonderful night of love. They had talked their way through all the thorny issues that had come up as a result of the drama earlier in the evening, and they were definitely back in honeymoon mode now. It was unbelievable. Whenever they started to caress each other, they became excited, and when they became excited, they would make love. Cas hadn't been kidding; she had discovered that he literally could do this all night. Then they would cool it down and talk, then they would cuddle and kiss, and then it would start all over again. And she loved it. She knew that this kind of frequency and intensity was highly unusual, to say the least. It was impossible for human males to keep up this kind of pace, even with that little blue pill they had now. She wondered if this was common for otherworldly beings. Cas would have no idea, of course. She was the only woman she had ever been with. Gail wondered if there was anyone else she could ask without dying of embarrassment. Well, so to speak. Maybe Chuck? She'd have to think about that. 

But right now, Cas had just entered her from behind, and he was moving in and out of her. He moved slowly at first, then faster and faster, and his fingers were still playing with her. She was making her sounds now, and so was he. Low sounds, right in her ear, and he sounded so sexy, and what he was doing to her felt so good that she cried out. He moaned, pushing forward one more time, then he continued to move his fingers until she was still. 

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Gail rolled back around to face him. "Wow," she said, smiling. "We're a hot couple, aren't we?" 

"Yes, we are," Cas said softly, and he kissed her on the mouth. "But from now on, let's try to talk about things as they come up. I hate it when we have a disagreement." 

She nodded. "So do I, Cas." She could have pointed out that if he had expressed himself better in the first place, they might have avoided this particular disagreement. But she was way too happy to do that right now. 

Cas's cell phone rang, interrupting their idyll. He turned away from her and picked it up off the nightstand, frowning when he looked at the display. 

"Cas?" It was Benoit. 

"Oui," Cas answered. "How are you this morning?" 

"We're all a little hung over," Benoit said good-naturedly. "Your wife was very sensible to drag you out of there when she did." 

Cas's frown deepened. What would be appropriate to say here? "Well, we're on our honeymoon," was what he decided on. 

Benoit chuckled. "So you are," he said. Then, after a moment's silence, he said, "Listen, Cas; it's actually your wife I'm calling about." 

Cas's eyes narrowed. "What about her?" 

"We're all taking the day off to recover," Benoit told him, "but I thought that Gail might like to go over and help the other girls clean up. Lise has really taken a liking to her, and after they clean up from the party, they'll be starting on the Christmas preparations. Then you and the boys can get together and talk about our plans going forward. How does that sound?" 

Terrible, Cas thought. Awful. Repugnant. "Great," he told Benoit. "So I take it we're in, then?" 

Yes, and Cas was a lucky bastard, Benoit thought to himself. The vote had almost gone against him. The guys all liked Sam and Dean just fine, but some of them had been uneasy about Cas. They'd all seen the way he had gone off on Etienne, when all their Brother had done was look at Cas's wife. Hell, most of them had snuck in a look or two, as well. She'd shown up at the party wearing one of those slutty French maid outfits, after all. Most of them had thought that Cas was nuts to put her in that little outfit and then parade her in front of all those men. Most of them were young and single, and the testosterone levels in that place had been through the roof. When you added a lot of alcohol to the mix, it was a wonder that one of them hadn't just grabbed her in a dark corner and shoved her hand in his pants for a minute or three. It wouldn't have been the first time. Jacqueline and Renee had both been in those kinds of clinches with most of the guys at one time or another, once the alcohol had started to flow. And, on one spectacularly hot summer night, the women had ended up in one of those clinches with each other. They'd decided they liked that more. So now, both women carried knives in their pockets, which they weren't afraid to threaten the men with should it become necessary. So that had only left Lise. Some of the guys were too intimidated by Etienne as Benoit's right hand to even give it a try, but a few other guys had groped Lise at those parties, and he hadn't seemed too upset about it. Sweet Lise had borne their drunken advances stoically, and if she'd ever mentioned them to Etienne, he had never let on. And now there was Gail. But before any of the men could even contemplate trying anything with her, Cas had threatened to cut Etienne to ribbons and feed him to the rats, just for casting a couple of glances her way. So when it had come down to the vote, Cas had squeaked through, but only because Benoit had the final say. He was intrigued by Cas. Benoit had searched online for any mention of Cas, Sam, or Dean, and he had come up empty. That meant that they were clean, so they must be good at what they did. When Benoit had had his private chat with Cas earlier in the evening, he'd been on the fence about him. But when he'd seen Cas threaten Etienne, Benoit had been impressed. Etienne might be Benoit's lieutenant, but Benoit didn't really like the little twerp all that much. He walked around the clubhouse like he ran the place, he drank too much, and he was a little too free with his fists when it came to his girlfriend. And while Benoit didn't really care what went on in Etienne's home, he didn't particularly want an assistant who asked for trouble with the law, either. This man Cas had reportedly lost his temper a few times in the short time that Etienne had known him, but each time it had been a controlled rage, and each time it had been because he had been protecting his little wife. Jealousy aside, Cas struck Benoit as being a very cool customer. Les Rebelles Blancs needed a few more ruthless killers who were dedicated to the cause. Benoit had the feeling that just about half of the guys who had pledged their loyalty to the organization and the cause were only there for the booze and the fraternization. But that was all right; Operation White Power would soon sort them out. One way or the other. 

"Yes, of course you're in," Benoit assured Cas. "I'm glad Etienne brought you into the fold. I think you'll be a real asset to us. So, I'll send Etienne to pick Gail up in, say, half an hour? Does that suit you?" 

Cas frowned again. "Why are you sending him to get her? Why don't you just give me the address, and I'll take her?" 

"Because you and Sam and Dean have to go through the initiation process," Benoit replied. "Don't worry; it's just a formality, and you'll actually find it fun. But I'm sure you can appreciate that, due to the kind of activities we have lined up, we have to vet everyone very carefully. But once you pass the initiation and take the oath, everything will be revealed to you." 

Cas let out a frustrated breath. So close, yet so far. "Why does it have to be Etienne?" he asked Benoit sharply. 

"Because I'm the boss, that's why," Benoit said. There was a bit of an edge to his voice now. He knew how Cas felt about Etienne, but this was part of the test. "Look, Cas, don't make me regret accepting you into the organization. If you can't follow orders now, maybe we're not the group for you. But if you think you can handle that, I promise you, there'll be lots of opportunities coming up for a guy like you." 

Cas made a face. He didn't like it, but if he raised an objection now, he would be putting the mission at risk. He would just have to channel Castiel the soldier now, and trust that he had scared Etienne enough last night so that he would leave Gail alone. 

"I'll have her ready," he told Benoit. 

"Excellent," Benoit said. "Let Sam and Dean know that Kurt and Gregoire will be there to pick you up in a couple of hours. So, go have breakfast, and they'll call you when they're on their way. Welcome to Les Rebelles Blancs, Cas. And, hang in there. There'll be rivers of blood before we're through." 

Benoit hung up, and Cas dropped his cell phone on the bed as if it were covered in something disgusting. "My God," he breathed. He turned to Gail and told her what Benoit had said, and she paled. 

"I'd better get ready, then," she told him. "We've got to get you guys initiated, so we can get the proof we need to get these guys." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hopped off the bed, heading towards the shower. 

As Gail showered, Cas called Dean and told him about the conversation. 

Dean let out a low whistle. "Holy crap," he said. "We've gotta get these guys, Cas." 

"I know," Cas said grimly. "Please give Henri a quick call, and fill him in. Gail is getting ready for Etienne to pick her up and take her to the clubhouse. I'm going to accompany her downstairs, and then I'll meet you in the restaurant." 

"Why are you going downstairs with her?" Dean asked, curious. 

Cas frowned. "I want to speak to Etienne, first. I have a warning to reinforce," he growled. 

Dean smiled, in spite of himself. Etienne had better behave himself, if he wanted to keep all of his body parts. 

They hung up, then Gail was out of the shower. She dressed quickly. Cas was happy to see that she was putting her blade in the front pocket of her pants. 

She saw him looking, and she smiled. "'Don't leave home without it'," she quipped, remembering the old commercial. Cas looked puzzled, and she laughed. "I'm glad there are still some things you don't know about," she told him. She walked over to him and put her arms around him. "It'll give us stuff to talk about, centuries from now." 

"We'll never lack for conversation," he told her, touching her cheek with his hand. "Even if our conversation just consists of me telling you how much I love you, and how wonderful you are, over and over again." 

"Bo-ring," she replied, smiling. Gail was getting nervous now, and the more nervous she became, the more she joked. Cas knew that, of course. He wished they didn't have to be separated. But at least she would be with Lise in the clubhouse. No harm should come to her there. 

Gail's smile faded. "Please be careful, Cas. But make sure you pass the initiation, OK? Whatever it takes." 

He nodded. "I promise." 

Gail slipped her cell phone into her purse. She rarely carried a purse, but today, she was bringing it on purpose. 

Cas looked at her. "It's you who needs to be careful, Gail. Please, don't take any unnecessary chances." She had told him that she was taking her cell phone to get pictures of anything that might be incriminating. He'd thought that was clever of her, and it was a great idea on principle. "If you think there's any chance at all that you might be seen, don't do it," Cas told her sternly. "Even by Lise. These people are dangerous, Gail. They're terrorists. And you know what terrorists are capable of. I know that you and I can't be killed by many conventional weapons, but you have an Angel blade in your pocket that someone could turn around on you. Also, if your vessel were to be destroyed while your essence was still inside of it, you would be gone." He trembled at the thought. 

"I understand, Cas," Gail told him. Her expression was serious now. Suddenly, she didn't feel like joking any more. "Please, give me one good kiss, and then we'd better get going," she said. 

Cas bent down and kissed her on the mouth. His arms tightened around her for a moment, and then he released her. 

He sighed. "Let's get this over with, then." Gail grabbed her purse and they left the room. 

Lise and Gail had been working away at the table for a while now, chatting companionably, and Gail had determined two things. Firstly, and this came as no surprise to her, Etienne was a Grade-A bastard. He was actually even worse than she'd feared, which was saying a lot. He was a total misogynist. One of those guys who controlled every move his girlfriend made, while demanding complete freedom for himself. He'd already been unfaithful to Lise twice, and she had forgiven him both times because he'd told her that they'd only been one-night stands, and it was Lise who he loved. He was still young, he'd told her, and he'd wanted to sow a few wild oats before he had to settle down and get married. Lise could start planning their wedding in a few years, but Etienne wanted to establish himself first. So if she thought she could handle that, then he would pay the rent and the bills and give her an allowance, and he would call her and let her know when he wasn't going to make it home for dinner. But, don't be peppering him with questions about where he was, or what he was doing. And for the first while, once she'd moved in with him, Lise forgot the rules, and she would ask him to tell her those things. And he had let it go. But one night, he'd come home, drunk and tired, and she'd started in on him. He'd warned her to shut up, but she hadn't, so he'd hit her in the face to make her shut up. After a few of those kinds of lessons, she'd learned not to ask him anymore. 

"It was my fault, really," Lise said to Gail, taking a sip of her coffee. "He told me how he felt about it at the beginning, and I did it anyway." 

Gail had to stop what she was doing then, and put her hands in her lap, because they were curling into fists, seemingly of their own accord. Now she understood why Cas had shouted at her last night. She also remembered Dean having yelled at her at the bunker way back when. Gail had made some kind of a comment about the marks on her body being her own fault, and Dean had exploded. Now Gail truly got it, because she felt the same way hearing Lise say these things now. But she couldn't say so, because she was playing the role of a woman who was more or less in the same boat. Weird how that had once been the case, and even stranger that Cas had been an Alpha Demon who was part vampire, and he still hadn't been as horrible as Etienne. Gail didn't know whether to laugh about that, or cry. 

And secondly, Lise was no more of a racist than Gail was, or Cas, or Sam and Dean. The truth was almost worse: Lise was so pathetically in love with Etienne that she came to the clubhouse just to spend more time with him. But Etienne believed passionately in "The Cause", as he called it, and when he'd explained his politics to Lise, he'd been very persuasive. Lise told Gail in a very low voice that she had no grudge against anybody of a different race, but if Etienne and his friends wanted to get together over drinks and talk trash about people from other ethnic groups, if it made Etienne happy to do so, she didn't see the harm. Lise showed her love and support for him by helping out here in the clubhouse. He had told her to be patient; that they would be recruiting more members soon, and that Benoit wanted some women. So Lise had hung around, helping out with all of the domestic chores here, and now, her patience had been rewarded with Gail's arrival. 

Gail took her hands out of her lap and had a swig of coffee, wishing there was some booze in it. When Lise had brought them both a cup of coffee after they'd finished the cleaning, Gail had had a couple of tiny sips, just to appear normal. But now, she took a big swallow, if only to wet her dry throat. Wow. This girl was unbelievable. She was Becky on steroids. She was so single-mindedly, pathetically in love with Etienne that she had blinded herself to what these people were really all about. Lise was acting as if this was merely a social club. 

After she'd brought out the coffee cups, Lise had left the room again and brought out a box that contained loose wires. 

"And now, for the next fun thing that we get to do, Benoit wants us to go through all of these," she'd announced to Gail cheerfully. "You can see that there are different colours at the ends. He wants us to match them all up together, and then intertwine them. He told me he thought we'd be good at it because we have small hands." Lise smiled. "I think he was just being charming, trying to put a positive spin on such a dull job. But I told him we'd be glad to do it. At least we get to chat while we're working. You'll see, it'll be done before we know it." 

Gail had looked at the wires, suspicious. "What are they for?" she asked Lise. 

"Christmas lights," Lise had said casually, dumping them out of the box and onto the table. She avoided Gail's eyes now, making a show of spreading the wires out in front of them. She felt bad about lying to her new friend, but Etienne had warned her not to tell Gail what the wires were really going to be used for. Until her husband and friends were formally initiated into the club, Gail was to be kept in the dark. Etienne had put the blindfold on her again today when he'd brought her here. But once the men had proven that they were worthy of admission into the club by passing the final test, there would be no need for secrecy any more. 

Lise wasn't nearly as naive as Gail thought she was. She knew very well that the wires they were matching up were going to be used to build bombs. Renee and Jacqueline were in another room in the clubhouse sewing some of the assembled bombs into vests right now. But Gail was not supposed to be told any of this yet, or else, Etienne had said. Lise was well aware of what that meant. But he'd been so sweet to her last night. Despite the fact that he'd had lots to drink at the party, he had just about ripped her costume off of her when they'd gotten home, and he had made love to her twice before he'd passed out. Lise had watched him sleep for a while, smiling. She knew that Etienne wasn't perfect, and she wished that he was more tender with her sometimes, and less angry. But she still had hope that they could make it work. Now that she had met Cas and Gail, Lise was feeling optimistic again. Cas was obviously another very strong male who ruled the household, but he and Gail looked very happy together, regardless. 

Even now, Gail's eyes lit up when she mentioned her husband. Lise asked Gail how she and Cas had met, and Gail had smiled and said that Sam and Dean were old friends of Cas's, and the brothers had introduced the two of them. 

As they sat there threading the wires together, Gail was thinking. She wondered if there was anything incriminating in this place that she could take pictures of for evidence. What they were doing here may or may not be for decorative purposes, but it was just a bunch of wires. Hardly proof of anything nefarious. 

"Where are Jacqueline and Renee?" Gail asked Lise. "Are they here today?" 

"Oui, but they're doing the sewing," Lise answered automatically, finishing her coffee. Then she paused in the act of putting her cup back on the table. Merde. She probably shouldn't have said that. But she hadn't said what they were actually sewing, so it should be OK. Still, she'd better change the subject. "Would you like some more coffee?" she asked Gail, starting to rise from her seat. 

"No, no, you sit," Gail said, getting up quickly. "Let ME get something for YOU, for a change. But I just have to go to the ladies' room first. Then I'll go to the kitchen and bring the pot out. How about we sneak some pie, while we're at it? I didn't get a chance to have any last night." 

Lise nodded. "Sounds good. Hurry back, eh? I've really been enjoying our talk. See, we're almost finished." 

And it was true; there were only a few unmatched wires left. If Gail was going to do any snooping, now would be the time. So she rose and walked down the hallway towards the washroom, but she kept going until she got to Benoit's office. The door was closed, so she knocked lightly on it. Lise had told Gail earlier that Benoit wasn't expected in today, but she thought she'd better make sure, before she just barged in. So she knocked twice, and when she got no answer, she tried the door. 

Locked. Damn it. Gail had been hoping to root around in there for a bit. Maybe she could have found some incriminating paperwork, or something. She'd brought her purse with her down the hall, and she had her cell phone in it. Or maybe she'd just seen too many movies. She sighed. She'd love to have had safecracking skills; maybe she could even have tried to get the Tablet. But if Sam couldn't crack the safe, it must be nearly uncrackable. Was that even a word? 

Now what? She was just about to give up and go back when she heard voices. They were faint, but she could just make out the sounds of women talking. She walked to the end of the hall and saw that there was a set of stairs there. Now she could hear the voices better: Jacqueline and Renee. According to Lise, they were sewing. Well, that didn't sound too incriminating, either. But Gail paused to listen for a moment. 

"They'e not exactly flattering, are they?" one of the women said. Gail thought it was Jacqueline, though she wasn't positive; she hadn't talked to either woman that much. 

"No," the other woman, probably Renee, said. "But let's face it, they're not meant to be worn that long." 

"I guess you're right about that," Jacqueline responded. "I wonder if the newcomers are on board yet." 

"I don't know," Renee said. "I think Lise might be preparing her for it, but I don't think Gail has been clued in yet. They're waiting for Cas to be initiated before they tell him. Once he takes the blood oath, Benoit believes he'll agree to make the sacrifice." 

God. Oh, God. Blood oath? Sacrifice? Gail definitely did not like the sound of that. But at least Cas, Sam, and Dean were together, and she knew that they could handle themselves. That didn't mean she had to like it, though. 

She was just about to turn away when she heard something else that turned her blood to ice. 

"So, there are four vests for four women," Jacqueline went on. "Where are they sending us? Are the targets at least good ones?" 

"Oui," Renee confirmed. "A synagogue, a mosque, the Baptist church, and their Daycare centre. We should get quite a few. Benoit promised me that we will have commemorative statues erected in our honour once the new clubhouse is built, and that we will be the first martyrs to the Cause. Everyone will know our names, cherie." 

"Sure, that's what he promised last night in bed," Jacqueline said. There was a skeptical tone in her voice now. She was actually a little jealous that Benoit had selected Renee to take to bed last night, although whether she was more jealous of Renee or of Benoit was in question. "But how do we know that he will keep his word?" 

"I believe him," Renee said. "But even if he doesn't keep his word, what do we care? We'll be dead, anyway. But at least we'll be taking a lot of dirty foreigners with us when we go." 

Jacqueline laughed. "You've got a good point, there. Merry Christmas, you filthy heathens." 

Both women laughed then, as Gail stood there, stunned. Oh, God. She'd known these people were bad, but this was so bad that she was actually frozen in shock. Oh, crap. 

Gail hurried back down the hall towards where she and Lise had been working. She'd better not let Lise or one of the other women catch her eavesdropping. When she got back to the table, Lise wasn't in her seat. Gail took her cell phone out of her purse and snapped a couple of quick pictures of the wires on the table. What the hell. Hopefully that, and her report on what she'd overheard, would be enough for the police. Maybe the guys would be able to add some more details, depending on what they found out at the initiation. 

She slipped the phone back into her purse and sat down. A moment later, Lise came back into the room carrying a tray holding the coffeepot and two slices of pie. "I'm sorry, I couldn't wait for you," she said to Gail, smiling. "You know what they say: 'You had me at pie'." 

Gail answered Lise's smile, but she felt like she was going to vomit. Here she'd been, indignant with Etienne on Lise's behalf, hoping to help the girl escape his clutches. Poor Lise. Right? But clearly, the woman knew a lot more than she was letting on. Christmas lights, her ass. And the other girls were sewing vests. Well, it wasn't too difficult to put two and two together, especially after Jacqueline and Renee had said what they'd said about "targets", and "martyrs". Four women, four vests. They were making suicide vests, and Gail was expected to blow herself up for "the Cause". Yeah. Like hell. 

"I'm sorry, Lise, I'm not very hungry right now," Gail said, rubbing her stomach gingerly. "That's why I was in the bathroom so long. I think I ended up having a bit too much to drink last night. And then Cas kept me up late, if you know what I mean." 

Lise smiled. "Of course I know what you mean. It was the same with me and Etienne last night. There's just something about those parties that gets the guys going. I think they like it when we run around and serve them. Not that that's any different from any other day of the year, est-ce pas?" Then she gave a half-shrug. "Well, the men will be here soon, and Cas can take you home." 

"I get more rest here," Gail joked, staying in character. Lise laughed as the two women bent to their work again. Please get here soon, Cas, Gail thought. We've got to put these people away. And please, please be safe. 

Gail hadn't sent a message to Cas, though, because she didn't know what he might be in the middle of, and she didn't want to panic him. At the moment, he was in the middle of drinking a full stein of beer. 

Kurt and Gregoire had picked him and the Winchesters up at the hotel about an hour after Gail had left with Etienne, and it was a good thing that Sam and Dean had eaten breakfast, because they took them directly to the bar where they'd all hung out that first night. There was a sign on the door; it was in French, of course, but Gregoire told them that it said that the place was closed for a private function. "This is where we have our initiation ceremony," Kurt told them. "When Etienne gets back, we'll begin." 

So the guys had helped themselves to pitchers of beer as soon as Kurt had unlocked the door. It was just the five of them. The owner of the bar and Benoit went way back, Kurt explained to them, and even though none of the bar staff were allowed to be present at the ritual, they all gave their full support to it. 

They were all already three steins of beer to the good when Etienne got there. He went behind the bar and brought over a bottle of wine for himself, and a bottle of whiskey for the table. Gregoire went over and got some shot glasses, and Etienne poured each man a shot. 

"Congratulations, gentlemen," he said to Sam, Dean, and Cas. "Here's to passing the vote." He raised his shot glass and they all downed their shots. 

"Great," Dean said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He was already feeling the effects of the booze. Even though he was a seasoned drinker, he and Sam didn't usually drink this soon after breakfast. "Now what?" he asked. 

"Now we have some more drinks, and then we start the initiation," Etienne told them. 

Sam grinned. He was feeling the effects of the alcohol, too. "What are you going to have us do, clean the floor with a toothbrush, or something?" 

Etienne, Kurt and Gregoire all smiled. "Not exactly," Kurt said, smirking. 

"Well then, what?" Cas said impatiently. The alcohol was not affecting him, of course, and he had a bad feeling about this so-called "initiation". 

"What do you care?" Etienne said coolly. "Have you got something more important to do?" 

"Yeah, his wife," Kurt quipped, and the men laughed. 

Cas looked calmly at him. He was going to try not to lose his temper. He and Gail had agreed that he and the Winchesters had to be admitted into this club, and he had promised to do whatever it took to make that happen. At least she wasn't here to listen to these pigs. 

"I simply want to know what the initiation entails," Cas remarked. 

"Don't you ever loosen up?" Kurt asked him, filling their glasses from the pitcher of beer. 

"When you loosen up, you get careless and sloppy," Cas replied testily. "Now, what is required for this initiation?" 

"Chug that beer," Etienne said. Cas gave him a withering look, and Etienne glared back at him. "You heard me, Cas. Step One of the initiation is to drink a pitcher of beer. Each. Then, do a shot for every glass you drain." 

"Not that I mind, but what's the point of that?" Dean asked with a smile. 

"Twofold," Etienne said, sitting back in his chair. "First, to promote camaraderie with your new Brothers. And second, because whoever is the most sober after that's done will have to prove their dedication to the Cause by speaking evil, then doing evil." He smirked, looking at Cas. "And I really hope it's going to be you. I can't wait to see you in action. That's if you're not all talk, of course." 

Sam and Dean exchanged nervous glances. What the hell was this guy talking about? What "evil" were they expecting Cas to do? And it would be him, of course. Once they drank an entire pitcher of beer each and all those shots, there was no way they'd be even close to being sober; whereas Cas could drink a lot more than that before even feeling it, if he ever did. They'd seen him drunk as a human before, and tipsy as an Angel, but this wasn't nearly enough alcohol to make him drunk. 

Cas was staring at Etienne. So, he would have to prove himself to these men. What would they require of him? "Whatever it takes," he had promised. So he and Sam and Dean all proceeded to drink, and when they were done drinking the quantity that Etienne had specified, Etienne said, "And now, the sobriety test." 

Kurt and Gregoire left the room and came back carrying a life-size mannequin. They set it up at the far side of the room and then came back to the table. Etienne walked around the bar and got a black case out from one of the shelves, bringing it back to the table. He opened it to reveal several large, shiny knives. 

"Each of you will take a knife and throw it at that target down there," he told them. "Whoever makes the best shot will have to perform the initiation." 

Sam grabbed a knife and looked at the mannequin. Of the two Winchesters, he was the better knife-thrower. But he'd had a lot to drink by now, and the target was wavering. He set himself and threw the knife. It grazed the mannequin's shoulder, then clattered to the ground. 

Etienne smirked. "Not bad, Sam. Most guys miss by a mile." 

Then Dean took a knife. He looked at it, looked at the target, and then looked at the knife again. "I don't suppose you'd let me use a gun, instead," he said with a half-smile. 

"No way, Dean," Kurt said, smiling. "You can't even stand up straight right now, let alone shoot straight." He and his friends laughed. 

Dean looked at the target again. He had the same problem as Sam; the mannequin wouldn't hold still. He closed one eye, then tried the other. Then he went to throw the knife, but he shanked it, and the knife flew out of his hand and landed in the floor a couple of feet away from where he stood. 

The white supremacists all roared with laughter, and Sam joined them. That actually had been pretty funny, and the look on Dean's face was classic. 

Etienne strode over and pried the knife out of the floor. "I guess we can see why neither one of you guys are married. It's hard to satisfy a woman when you ARE one," he said to Dean and Sam, and Kurt and Gregoire laughed again. 

"Har, har. Very funny," Dean retorted. "Give me another shot." 

"Sorry, Dean. One per customer," Etienne said. He walked up to Cas and held the knife up to him, blade side forward. "You like playing with knives," Etienne said to Cas sarcastically. "Let's see how you do." 

Cas regarded him coolly. "Do you want it in the head, or the heart?" 

Etienne raised his eyebrows. "Your choice," he said. 

Cas reached into his jacket. "I'll use my own," he said, using his arrogant voice. He took out the Angel blade and threw it at the mannequin, giving his throw a little extra Angel power. The blade sailed clean through the dummy's neck, severing the head. 

Kurt and Gregoire gaped at each other as Cas walked over to where the mannequin stood. The knife was imbedded in the far wall. He yanked it out and put it back in his pocket. Then he looked down at the severed "head" and kicked it across the room. "Is that acceptable enough for you?" he called to Etienne. 

"Damn showoff," Dean grumbled, but he and Sam were grinning. Cas. He really should have been an actor. When he played a part, he really committed. 

Etienne gave Cas a half-shrug. "All right, I'll admit it: That wasn't too bad," he told the Angel. He returned to his chair at the table and gestured to the Winchesters. "Cas is your representative for the initiation. Have a seat and grab a drink. I'll be right back." 

The men sat down, and Kurt poured Sam and Dean another glass of beer each. But when he went to do the same for Cas, Cas waved him off. Etienne returned to the room a few minutes later, and he was carrying an old-fashioned tape recorder, which he plunked down in the middle of the table. 

"What's that for?" Sam asked him. 

Etienne took his seat. "It's there to take the official record of your pledge." He pressed the Record button, then looked at Cas. "Why is your glass empty?" 

Cas sighed inwardly. "Because I was waiting for you to get back," he said with a tight smile. "You know, camaraderie, Brotherhood, all that b.s." The men laughed, and Kurt moved again to fill Cas's glass from one of the pitchers of beer. But Cas grabbed him by the wrist. 

"Hey! What's your problem, man?" Kurt protested. 

"I don't want beer," Cas said. He was staring at Etienne. "Fill it with whiskey." 

Sam and Dean were smirking again. Maybe Cas was actually drunker than they'd thought. It was almost too bad that Gail wasn't here to see this, Sam thought. Then again, maybe it was just as well that she wasn't. She would probably explode from all the unexpressed quips. 

Etienne grabbed Cas's stein and filled it with whiskey. "Hey, it's your funeral," he told Cas, shrugging. 

"So much for your honeymoon," Kurt said, smirking. "I hope your wife brought a good book, because you're going to be useless to her tonight. You can send her over to my house, if you want." 

Cas regarded him evenly, then he grabbed the glass and drained its contents. He banged the glass down on the table and said, "Keep it up with your comments. You saw what I did to that mannequin." 

Kurt closed his mouth with a snap. Most men would have been thoroughly wasted by now, after having drunk that much whiskey on top of everything else that he'd already had. But Cas still seemed almost sober, and he had that same shark like glint to his eyes now that he'd had at the Hallowe'en party, when he'd threated to feed Etienne to the rats in the catacombs. Maybe Kurt had better cool it with the jokes about Cas's little wife. 

"What about this pledge, then?" Cas asked Etienne. "What do you want me to recite?" 

"This," Etienne replied. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He tossed it to Cas, who caught it in one hand. He opened it, spreading the paper out on the table. 

"Nice and loud, so the tape recorder picks it up," Etienne said, smirking. 

Cas felt nauseous. Part of what he was looking at appeared to be a standard oath that anyone might take when being inducted into any club. Pledging loyalty to the others in the organization, promising to abide by its rules, etc. But then the language deteriorated into racial epithets when he got to the part about the types of people that Les Rebelles Blancs were determined to remove from society. He was expected to assist the group in that regard, then sign the oath in blood. Cas sighed inwardly. He would have to ask for another glass of whiskey just to get the bad taste out of his mouth once he said these ugly words. But he said them. Whatever it took. Then they would ask him to sign the contract with his blood, and that would be it. 

Etienne switched the tape recorder off as Cas reached into his pocket for his blade. If he had to do this, he wanted to use his own knife. Etienne looked at him warily. "What are you doing, Cas?" 

"You require a blood oath, do you not?" Cas asked him. "If I have to bleed for the Cause, I would rather use my own knife." 

Etienne smiled. "Not YOUR blood, Cas. That's the second part of the ritual." 

Cas exchanged glances with Sam and Dean. A chill went down Dean's spine at the expression on Etienne's face. 

"You talk a good game, I'll give you that," Etienne went on. "But what we've got planned is a lot more real than cardboard cutouts and mannequins. Before you can take the oath, you have to prove to us that you're ready, willing and able to do what's required." He gestured to Cas. "Get up." 

Cas rose from his chair as Sam and Dean looked at each other nervously. Etienne came around the table and faced Cas. 

"What do you want me to do?" Cas asked him tonelessly, using his best soldier's voice. But the dread was rising in his stomach now. 

"Go out into the streets," Etienne replied. "Grab the first filthy immigrant that you see and bring them back here. THAT'S where we get the blood from. And you can take your time in getting it, if you want. Or, you can do it quick and dirty. It's up to you. It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman, or what race it is. You'll probably want a man; seeing as you're on your honeymoon, you're probably not looking for the usual fringe benefit that comes from picking a woman, if you know what I mean. But you can pick any race you want; we don't discriminate here." 

Kurt and Gregoire laughed. Sam and Dean looked at each other, then at Cas. What the hell was Cas supposed to do now? He obviously couldn't do what Etienne was asking him to do. But if he refused, they wouldn't be accepted into the club. But they had to get accepted into the club, in order to get into the clubhouse and get the Tablet, and to get the proof that they needed to nail these guys. So far all they had was a lot of racist talk, and some creepy, cryptic references to the things that the organization was planning to do. That was all. 

Cas's heart sank into his stomach. It did not surprise him that this was what was required for admittance into such a vile organization. Hadn't he feared that something of this nature was going to be asked of them? What was he going to do now? "Whatever it takes," he had promised Gail, and himself, too. But how could he possibly do something like this? How could he ever justify it? But they needed to get the Tablet to defeat Lucifer, and Les Rebelles Blancs were planning to being about the demise of many people of different ethnicities. They had to be stopped. If he refused, and he and Sam and Dean tried to get up and leave, Cas was sure that these men would fight them. Etienne, Kurt and Gregoire could be easily killed by the three of them, of course. Castiel himself could kill all three humans with one hand tied behind his back, if the Winchesters were too drunk to hold up their end. But then, all they would have were three dead white supremacists, and no way to get into their clubhouse. Gail was there right now, but she had no way of knowing her location. And he couldn't go there and get her because he didn't know it, either. Yes, he could send her a message on their frequency to pop out of there and go back to the hotel, or even to go back to the bunker, and he would not hesitate to do so if things went sour here. He was not about to leave her all alone in their lair if he had to kill these men. But if that were to happen, they would have failed both missions. The events that the organization was planning were obviously imminent. Who knew how many innocent lives would be lost then, if the Angels and the Winchesters weren't there to prevent them from doing whatever it was that they were planning on doing? Could Castiel say that one life was worth more than countless other lives? But if he were to do as they were asking, how could he ever live with himself, going forward? 

"Well?" Etienne said impatiently. "What are you waiting for? Are you going to get one, or are we going to have a problem?" 

Cas looked into his eyes. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he said coolly. He turned and walked out of the bar. 

Sam and Dean stared at the door for a minute, after Cas had gone. What the hell were they supposed to do now? There was no way that Cas was going to do it. Was he just stalling for time? Had he gone to call for backup? They'd both had quite a bit to drink by now, but the adrenaline had sobered them up a little now. 

They sat and made small talk for a while. Dean's muscles were starting to cramp up with tension. Both he and Sam were largely ignoring their drinks now, wanting to be as alert as they could possibly be when Cas got back. 

Finally, there was a pounding at the door. It was still locked, of course. Etienne rose from his chair and walked over. 

"Who's there?" he asked through the door. 

"It's Cas," was the terse reply. 

Etienne opened the door as Sam and Dean sat on the edge of their seats, ready to spring into action. 

Cas came in, and he was not alone. He had a black man with him, and when Etienne opened the door, Cas pulled the man inside. Once Etienne closed and locked the door behind them, Cas pushed the man he had brought inside, and the man fell to his knees. 

"Please," he begged. "Please don't hurt me." 

"Shut up," Cas barked. He hauled the man to his feet and marched him to the table, then shoved him down into an empty chair. 

Etienne was smiling now. A part of him had had his doubts, but it looked like Cas was the real deal after all. Now Cas had his knife out, and he was pointing it at the man. 

"Any particular place you need the blood from?" Cas asked Etienne, smiling coldly. 

Etienne laughed. "Any place you want, Brother." 

As Sam and Dean watched, wide-eyed, Cas plunged his knife into the black man's chest. Etienne stepped forward with an empty beer stein and held it underneath the wound, collecting the blood as it poured out of the victim. 

The man slumped to the floor as Cas withdrew his blade. He slapped it on the table and poured himself a shot of whiskey, downing it. "Let's get this damn thing signed, then," Cas said, as the Winchesters looked at him in horror. 

\- END OF BOOK 18. -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave your comments and/or kudos. I look forward to hearing from you!


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